It's A Revolution
by Writer's Advisor
Summary: Post Peeta and Katniss' Games. 72nd Games, to be exact. Rhymer Lockhearst wins the 72nd Games and finds out about the horrible world she lives in and looks up to the star-crossed lovers and their defiance of the Capitol. *Excuse the horrible summary!* Rated T because reasons ;). I keep changing the title. Welp.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfiction. I had several people proof read this long before posting it. I hope all of you enjoy it because I had a blast writing it. I'll try to upload once a week. Without further ado, here's the first chapter.**

**The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me. Let me know what you think of it! (All reviews welcome :D)**

1 - Memory

I wake up screaming. No, my parents don't check on me anymore. No amount of checking would make the nightmares go away. I see her every day in the mirror. And my parents suffer every day when they look at me. All our friends forget for a second she's dead, gone, all thanks to the Capitol, and when I walk into any place, cries of 'Ashby! You're back!' are like a slap to the face. And all I can do not to shout out and tell them it's me, is smile sadly and try not to cry. And then everyone remembers Rhymer's alive and Ashby's dead. She's not coming back. I feel so neglected.

The only one who could tell us apart was our dad. Even mom had a hard time doing that; telling us apart. But to dad, we were his little princesses. All my friends had a hard time telling us apart too. Being twins, Ashby and I were identical. Finishing each other's sentences, knowing when the other was in pain, we held no secrets. And then the Games took her from me; took her from us. We've pained since the reaping. It was our first year in it. I relive it almost every night, in my dreams.

We'd just turned twelve. Mother and father had showered us with gifts; from books on nuclear power, our personal favorite, to a kit on how to harvest electricity from almost anything. I threw it all out after Ashby died. No use on keeping things we were supposed to share. I still have knowledge on electricity, being from District 5 and everything, but Ashby took a piece of me with her. We'd just put away a potato and had changed into reaping clothes, when dad called us. We had to go, as always, reapings were mandatory. Peacekeepers always knocked on doors and escorted entire families to the square. To tell us apart, mom gave me piggy tails, and Ashby went with a ponytail. We giggled. And then we closed the door to our room, and in no time, we were in the square. We giggled some more, causing our mother to look our way. Then we got our fingers in ink and were told to keep on walking. Once our fingerprints were identified, we were told what to do. Having celebrated our birthday two weeks ago, Ashby and I were told we were eligible for the reaping. We parted from our parents and stood where the girls from the District go, and Ashby and I held hands.

"It'll be over soon enough, alright Ashby?" I'd whispered. I'm younger by six minutes, but sometimes, Ashby would said I was older.

"Of course; I won't worry Rhymer. Remember our promise? I can't believe we hid that from our parents. But we'll be fine." She'd whispered back.

We were some of the first girls to arrive, and we ended up waiting while the others began to file in, the square quickly filled up. Then there was the escort, previous victors, the mayor, and the square was as packed as it could get.

Not many people are fans of the Hunger Games. Even here in District 5, many have attempted to follow Districts 1, 2, and 4 and make our district part of the Career group, but we refuse it. We don't want to be puppets to the Capitol. We've already suffered and witnessed sixty six years of Hunger Games, and although there is no hope to be free from them, we simply don't want the Capitol to be fully in control. If another district added themselves to the Career group, there would never be hope of freeing ourselves from these mad Games. It is said we started being thirteen districts, but it turned to twelve after the first rebellion, along with the destruction of the thirteenth. And that brought the first ever Hunger Games. The district have been paying the price of said rebellion ever since. It's hard to not resent them for being so rash whilst creating the worst form of punishment for their people. To torture their children, some of the most defenseless population of Panem.

The mayor, Tule Rudolphine, stood up and walked to the podium and began a dull speech about the Treaty of Treason. How we should be thankful towards the Capitol. She ranted about the greatness of the Capitol and how they help us live our lives. Lies! She then introduced our district's escort; Winnow Roxen.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" squealed Winnow. She then proceeded to the glass ball. We have always had enough to eat so we never had the need to sign up for tesserae. But the chances of getting chosen were real. "Ladies first!" Winnow had pronounced proudly.

She had a bright yellow suit, along with yellow nails, yellow shoes, and I was sure she'd dyed her hair that same hue because it's impossible for a person to have such yellow hair. She resembled a talking banana; abnormal. She scrambled for a name, and then returned to the microphone.

"Our girl tribute is-" she paused as she unfolded the paper and read out the name, "Ashby Lockhearst. Any volunteers?" My sister gasped a little but soon recovered, freed herself from my grasp and walked to the stage. I was numb. A boy wailed. From the corner of my eye, I saw who can only be Tiberius Welword. A boy that had a crush on Ashby. He was waiting until they were older in order to date her. I remember seeing my sister, speechless and seeing my mom with a pained look on her face. She began to cry. The crowd of Peacekeepers made us fall silent one more time and we were forced to listen to the boy tribute.

"Our boy tribute is-" again Winnow paused to unfold before reading, "Rozzi Baxwoll! Any volunteers?"

But I didn't, I couldn't, I wouldn't, because my muscles couldn't move to help my sister from being torn from me, stop what happened next.

"I volunteer! I volunteer for Rozzi!" And I knew who it was, and I struggled against my numb brain and still received no response; it's was Tiberius. And my sister tried to tell him silently to stay with me, with our family, and there was Tiberius, pushing; shoving really, Rozzi behind him and climbing the stage before anyone could respond. We were told to clap. Our district tributes were two twelve year olds. My sister was heading to her death.

Fannia Flamsteed and Skene Herriot, our most recent victors, and now Ashby and Tiberius' mentors, stood up after my sister shook hands with Tiberius. They got ready to leave. And then my parents ran up to me, and my mother cried onto my hair. And dad was there, telling her we ought to go mutter a quick goodbye to Ashby before she got taken away; before we headed home and prepared for a show we are forced to watch. The reapings are supposed to be placed at a time when people could watch it live, but only the Capitol people can do that, as they don't go to reapings themselves. I can never remember what I said to Ashby in the Justice Building. And I struggle not to. We already suffer too much to begin with. I watched all the reapings, from Districts 1 through 12, and most of my sister and Tiberius' competitors were small. It seemed that the Capitol wanted those Games to be as dramatic as possible; they had such small children fighting for their entertainment. The oldest child there was fourteen. And even then I was terrified for my sister, especially because of the Careers. I still remember her death.

Tiberius and Ashby were in the pool of final eight. We actually had hope she'll make it home. But even with our collecting tin, we couldn't make enough to send her another gift, to sponsor her one more time. Those Games went on for almost a month. Prices for a gift got high. The kids were scared to kill one another. Only the Careers attacked. One night, Tiberius and Ashby set up camp, and Ashby was supposed to stay awake and guard, but she dozed off, for some minutes, and the Careers saw it, they knew it would help to kill, it meant to make it home. Killing always means you'll make it home. The girl from District 4 took Tiberius and speared him like a fish, right in the head. The spear went through, and we knew he won't come back. The boy slit Ashby's throat and they fled the scene with two canons in their ears. I didn't sleep the entire night. Dad did his best to comfort me, but it was no use. I was vacant for weeks after Ashby's death. Murder! Murder! And I begged to be placed in the Games. But whenever I voiced it, my mother would erupt into a new wave of tears and dad would take me out and show me a new method he was learning at work to produce solar power, or nuclear energy, but even that had lost its interest. Ashby was gone. The weeks turned to months, and those turned to years, and I still found myself waiting for her to return. And I would repeat it with no meaning. Ashby was gone. Gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know I said I'd upload once a week, but since I have some spare time today, I asked myself: why not upload another chapter? I go nuts when other fan fics don't update until weeks are months later.**** Plus, I did look at some numbers and the number of visits for this fic was really nice. I appreciated it. I also made a Tumblr concerning this story and other plans that I have for it in the future, so if you'd like to know the URL, please let me know in a review and/or PM and I will more then gladly provide it in the next chapter.** It would be lovely to hear from you (whether it is to tell me if I suck or if I'm good) so don't mind giving me reviews. They'll be _GREATLY _appreciated :D! **The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

2 - The Reaping, Again

It was that time of the year again. The other bed was still there. My parents didn't have the heart to throw away Ashby's possessions. Her bed's cold. She's gone, I tell myself. Today, we must go to the reaping one more time. It's my final chance to be in the Games. I'm finally eighteen. My name's there only seven times, not twenty-one, not even fourteen. My family still didn't feel the need to get tesserae. Six years since Ashby's death and I haven't avenged her. I'm determined. Even if my name is not called, I must volunteer as tribute. I have to. Even if it causes my parents pain. I have to get myself into that arena. For the final year, I wear an old dress of my mother's. It's purple. Ashby's color. Mine's blue, and mother keeps forgetting. I wear it anyway.

"Ash – Rhymer!" That would be her, my mother. She's still thinks Ashby's here, just like everyone else. I guess dad told her it was me, Rhymer, and not Ashby up here.

"I'll be there in a minute! I have to get something! It will be fast!" I shout back. Peacekeepers at the door, I hurl myself at my sister's bed and look under the covers. I begin to feel around, knowing where she hid her necklace.

"My daughter's upstairs. She'll be down soon. Rhymer!" My father's tone makes me scramble around as fast as I can. I notice the lump.

"I'm here. I lost my necklace, it was under my bed. Sorry I took long." I'm down the stairs and talking and placing the necklace around my neck. The mirror screams Ashby, and it takes all my strength to not break the glass. Mother cries at the sight of me, completely forgetting the Peacekeepers are waiting.

"Ash… Rhymer. Ashby would be proud."

"Let's go!" That's the Peacekeeper.

"My apologies. I delayed them. We're going." I tell him.

I grab my parents' hands; I try to tell them without words that I'll volunteer, that I love them, that I plan on leaving them, but either they don't notice or ignore it. We quicken our steps because I've made us late. But as always, we're one of the firsts. There's no Ashby to hold my hand this time, and I feel so vulnerable, standing by myself. Once again, I watch as the square begins to fill up. Then the escort is there, along with our victors, and the mayor. The mayor begins her speech again. I don't listen. A Peacekeeper looks at me, and I look back at the mayor, but still do not listen. Then Winnow stands up to read the names. This year, she resembles a grape.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor! Ladies first!" she talks too fast. But I stand up taller. I need to listen to her, to draw my name from that glass ball. She unfolds as she walks, and I think she might trip when, no, there she is, reading out a name. A girl besides me is mumbling under her breath not to be picked. And she's not. "Our girl tribute is Rhymer Lockhearst!"

I feel my mother's pain; I see her cry out. Dad is struggling to keep her under control, so that the Peacekeepers don't have to take her away. I force myself to walk to the stage. It seems the stage gets further away the closer I try to get to it. When I do get there, Winnow is there, smiling at me and telling me I have good taste in clothing; all I do is keep my face blank.

"And our boy tribute is Lartius Baxwoll!"

I stand while a boy comes forward. His face shows shock, fear, and a bit of pain. I briefly recall his brother being called that same day that my sister was called on that horrible reaping six years ago. How small are the odds. He's there, standing next to me, and we shake hands, or rather, I extend my hand and he does all the shaking. He seems nervous. Ms. Rudolphine reads some more boring speeches and then Lartius and I shake hands once more. We are shoved from behind by some Peacekeepers and taken inside the Justice Building. Someone's asking me if I'll allow any visitors before I go. I violently shake my head. No. I won't do this to my parents again. It's cruel. I swallow my tears and sit in a room opposite from Lartius'. There's commotion outside my door.

I won't, I won't; I can't.

I never considered this part when I wanted to be reaped. But it's here. And it's struggling to make itself known. I do my best to ignore it. A wild cry of 'Rhymer!' tempts me to open the door. I persist even though my heart aches. My mother's strangled cries saturate this room and I'm drowning in her pain, her fear for me. I root myself on the sofa and don't allow myself to bat an eyelash. The tears are pooling. Don't cry! Don't you dare! A Peacekeeper violently opens the door and grabs a tight hold on my arm. Has the hour passed by that fast? The pain from the Peacekeeper's grip almost makes me wince, but I notice the same is happening to Lartius and he looks like he's about to cry again, red eyes turning a darker red. One of us has to be strong. I try to not look for my parents in the crowd and I succeed, that is, until my mother manages to sneak past a Peacekeeper controlling the crowd and slips something in my pocket. I see a car looming up. I know what it will do. Both Lartius and I get in. It takes us to the train. More people from the District see us climb and then see us off. Then District 5 is gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm back! It was a hella of a long weekend and I'm so glad it's Tuesday again. Means I get to upload again. I'm so touched by how many people took time their time to read my story ^.^ Your heart is golden, my loves 3. What do you think about me uploading more often, hmm? I could try to do it, if you'd like! So here's Chapter 3!**

******It would be lovely to hear from you (whether it is to tell me if I suck or if I'm good) so don't mind giving me reviews. They'll be _GREATLY _appreciated :D! ****The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

3 - The Train, the Oh, So Pretty Train

My district. My beautiful district. Why are you even leaving it? It is ever so beautiful. My mind is quickly resenting leaving my family and my district behind. I knew it would hurt, because there is a huge possibility I won't make it out of this alive. But the pain crushing my chest is so intense, I'm temporarily blinded by it. Parts of me scream why, others are resigned to death and saying goodbye, and still others are aggressive; thinking about how I can make it back. After all, I have been training like a Career for a while. I can do this, I will get out. My mind can't settle on a single thought.

I'm at the window, looking outside at the constant scenery change. As I lose interest of it, I being to look around the car I'm; it's spring themed. Light colors give the impression you're outside, standing in a clearing. The colors contemplate each other. Light blue, pastel pink, sunny yellow and pale green plaster the walls. Swirly blue patterns represent wind, and bright yellow rays show sunlight. Pink petals border the bottom of the walls, along with stalks of green.

As I compliment the walls, my hand quickly goes to the pocket of my dress. A black ring, slightly used, in a chain. To any other person, it may seem worthless, but to me and my family, it is important; it is the ring my father got for my mother the day he found out she was going to have twins. I used to see my mother take great care of it, until that one time when she almost lost it. She wore it around her neck ever since, and to the best of my knowledge, never took it off for anything. Lartius finds me placing the chain around my neck; my final piece of home.

He is beside me now, also watching the district shrink as we're taken to the Capitol. He opens his mouth, hesitates, closes it and swallows, then opens it again.

"You miss her?" Lartius, why do you ask?

"Of course. Wouldn't you miss your brother if Tiberius hadn't volunteered?"

"Yes."

"Then don't ask. You don't know that kind of pain. You haven't lost a sibling." I lash out.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I won't talk."

He better not. After that, I leave him at the window and I head for a room. Or to the place where I think there's a room. I want to be alone. I had my wish. I'm heading for the Games. And I'm thinking of strategies. My mind is quickly asserting the situation, and I needed a room. Now.

There's Winnow. She walks towards me and mentions for me to follow her.

"Yes?" I sound annoyed.

"You need a room, right?"

She must have read my mind. "Yeah, I would like one. You'll take me to one?" my annoyance is gone.

"Yes. It will be yours for the next few hours. You can do whatever you want here. No rules. I'll be back in an hour or such in order for me to pick you up and we'll eat, alright?" Winnow finishes with a smile. This fruit is not so bad after all.

"Sure. Thank you. See you in an hour." I shut the door. A quick inspection of the room shows various shades of orange, red, and yellow. My first thought is of autumn. The Capitol designers painted the train cars and rooms to seem as seasonal sceneries. I wonder what everyone else got. This autumn design makes my small room appear warm and cozy. It makes me feel drowsy. What a beautiful train.

Peace. At last. And here I am, not thinking strategies, but thinking of my parents. My parents. They must be in pain. I left them a letter. I know dad would find it. How? Simple. I hid it in the box dad gave me after Ashby's death. And he would check it, because when Ashby died, he went and slept in her bed. Mom said nothing, for we were all grieving. And as Ashby had no box, father slept in her bed. So he would check my box. I knew it. And it would explain what I was about to do. Or at least, hoping to do.

I climb into bed. Today was fast. Too fast for my liking. I woke up, we were at the reaping, I was called, and I'm on the train. A blur, really. I sleep.

Ashby's dead. On the floor. A pool of blood, the Careers run. I'm struggling to help my sister, but I can't move. I also see Tiberius, already dead. Ashby makes a noise from the back of her throat. I scream.

My brain is replaying my sister's death. And suddenly, I'm afraid. For the first time afraid. This dream couldn't be sending me a clearer message. I could die. Before I kill the Careers, before I even make it to the Cornucopia. Before I lift a weapon to defend myself. And I see how stupid my plan is, really, because even if I might one of the oldest tributes, the Careers are trained to kill, no matter their age. Mercilessly. I am not. My hatred for them, for killing Ashby, has blinded me from the danger the Careers actually are.

I wake up.

There's a knock on my door. I figure it's time to eat. But it's not Winnow. It's Lartius.

"Are you alright? Why are you screaming? Are you alright?"

It's him who's screaming now, because I'm already awake. I let him in, so he doesn't panic anymore. Or because I don't want people to think I'm doing anything to him. The train is obviously bugged. Somewhere in the Capitol, someone will listen to this conversation, see what's happening.

"What do you want? Didn't you say you wouldn't talk to me?" I'm angry.

"I'm sorry again. I worried. I'm human, I have feelings, and so do you. Don't act like you don't. I wanted to make sure you were fine. And you are. So I'll leave. Sorry for caring."

I'm ashamed. "No, stay. You know, you remind me of my dad. He tells me I try to act like I can't feel anything, like I'm not human. I'm sorry." I say softly, to show I'm friendly.

"Are you sure? No more screaming?"

I'm positive I'm blushing, because he sounds doubtful. "I'm sure. No more screaming. I promise."

"Great. You should heed your father's words. I'm worried about you. I don't want you to hurt."

Something tugs at my gut when I see his face. His eyebrows pull together when he's worried. He seems troubled that I look and sound hurt. I try to brush off the feeling in my stomach. "Why are you worried about me? Lartius? Oh. No. That's impossible. Why didn't you tell me before? Talk to me at least!"

"What are you talking about? I'm just being friendly. I think it would help if we team up and show our mentors that we are prepared to have another victor for our district this year. What did you think I was talking about?" his face pulls, confused and the feeling in my stomach intensifies. I don't tell him anything. I even press my lips together.

"Hey, if you think my plan is stupid, just tell me. You don't have to appear so solemn about it, alright, Rhym?"

Rhym? Where did that come from? But as he's closing the door, my brain keeps replaying his voice just saying 'Rhym'. And I like it. I don't notice that he leaves my room crying. Because now all my brain is doing is replaying his voice saying my name. I settle in to sleep but another knock, and I'm up, planning to tell Lartius to go away, for some stupid reason, when I find Winnow. Food. Of course. I walk out of the room and into the dining car.

Dark, muddy yellow with streaks of lightning white surrounded by electric blue border the sky blue walls of the dining car. It's amusing how these people consider these details just because of our district roots. Are all district trains like these? Only based like their own district? Looking closely, the walls have layers of blues and whites to give a better imitation of the sky. As soon as I set foot inside the dining car, Skene speaks to me.

"Where's the boy?"

"I have no idea." My voice is monotone.

"I'm here." Lartius, voice quivering slightly. I look at him from the corner of my eye and wonder if I did something wrong.

"What happened?" that's Winnow.

"Oh, not much, you know, just thinking of home. Family. That's all."

He doesn't tell them. But I make up an excuse. I don't care if there are consequences. "It's my fault. I yelled at him because he told me something. I snapped at him. Sorry."

"What exactly did he tell you for you to do such a thing?" Fannia, piercing me with her light green eyes. I used to think she was from another district, but no, she's from 5.

"Something personal." Now it's lifeless.

We drop the conversation and before long, we are eating. A small roasted bird that looks like turkey filled with carrots, peas, and cranberry sauce. You can eat it whole because it has no bones. Purple soup with chucks of chicken, chick peas, and other bean-like vegetables. Chocolate puffs, ice cream shaped like roses and a cake made out entirely of whipped cream which gives the impression the entire thing will collapse if touched. Those are the foods that I eat. And the juice. A dark shade of green that suggests apple and a hint of mango. With orange pieces. Delicious. It takes an hour and a half to eat. By the time we're done, we only have a final hour and a half to explore the train, and do whatever we want. Lartius follows me.

"Why did you tell them it was your fault? You could have gotten in trouble. And it wasn't even true."

"But I didn't, so drop it. Please, just leave me alone. I need to think, I need silence. I don't want to actually get into trouble because of you. Go away."

Too harsh. But he swallows his tears and leaves without another word. I already have enemies. And they're not Lartius.

I felt like a Career the first time I told myself to train for the Games. It was simple to think it, voice it even, but so much harder to pick up the knife, the spear, the bow and arrows, the sword. I even signed up with the school that supported the Games and our district to become Careers. I felt weak when handling such tools for murder. What had me going was Ashby. It was the only time I looked into the mirror. I knew I was going crazy. My sister couldn't talk to me – she was already dead – much less encourage me to learn how to use things that killed people; I just made myself believe so. I had to. And soon enough, I stopped being afraid and had acquired a handful of skills. I was climbing trees, shooting at a distance, learning how to survive with only plants; and heal with them too.

When I saw my sister's body in the wooden box the Capitol uses to return the bodies, I'd fled the house. Mother and father didn't see me leave. They had a stone cold body instead of a living child. I hid in the training room gym, a simulation of small woods, for a week. And that's how I learned to survive on only plants. I was good at it, somehow. It came as a surprise. And that day, I promised my sister, Tiberius and myself I would do a Career and train for the Games. I got into shape. I ran, threw weapons, lifted weights, climbed trees, and ran some more. I was more prepared than ever. My parents said nothing. It was their impression that this was the way I was grieving my sister. And at every reaping, I was hoping to be picked. Only I wasn't, but I was too scared to volunteer. And the years passed. I was short, five feet, three inches and skinny, but strong, with perfect aim, and survival skills. But that was nothing to the Careers. The year Ashby died, the boy from 4 won because his fellow tribute got into a fight with another and the girl got killed. Then the boy hunted the other girl, out of rage, and won.

An hour before we arrive, Winnow's at my door again, telling me we have to see the reapings. The television car is the only one that has close to no decorations. It's a dull metallic grey with a few plush dark brown couches. A glass three legged coffee table right in the center, in front of the screen. Mugs and glasses are set across it. The pine green carpet is ankle deep, and it makes me want to pull off my shoes and walk barefoot. It will be childish if I do. I don't do it. With the screen on, we all settle down to watch the recap. All the kids stand out. I have a good memory, or that's what I'm told. I figure it's too good for me, as I remember a lot of things I do not want to remember.

For District 1, it's this boy named Septimus Dunbryll and a girl who volunteered named Daniela Edenthaw. The boy's smaller than the girl, but something about Septimus catches my attention. He's crying. That's weird. At least, for a Career it is. Then we see twins for District 2. Grandis and Rulapia Ivory. And even though they can't be older than sixteen, they will be very hard to defeat. District 3 gives Martial Spectral and Pomeline Vipointe. Those would be hard too, due to them being tall. Then District 4 shows a boy who volunteered, Gunnar Rankine, and Valeria Lapworth, a girl that's shaking like a leaf. District 5 is us. I appear hostile, and Lartius laughs as he sees himself on screen. A scared boy, mostly. District 6 is represented by Cordo Greenlaw and Vibia Erwin. District 7 gives up a boy that appears to be in his first reaping, Struve Adljoy, and a girl on her final one, like me, Pleione Fairbain. District 8 has another pair of twins. The Overwhills. Majoris and Althea, both eighteen; those would present yet another obstacle. District 9; Runyon Dinwiddie and Briar Galloway. District 10 has Ovid Inchcape and Dorothea Yule for tributes. District 11 are represented by Caldwell Jardine and Orchid Wellwood. And District 12 has Leonis Keene and Katri Hale. And then the reapings are done. I know my parents are mad, at the Capitol, and at me for going; these Games are going to be hard. I may know their names and their faces, but I have no idea what I'm facing.

We arrive. Or I guess we do, because the lights have gone out. And then I remember the tunnel. We are arriving. Not there just yet. Lartius gets up and so do I. We wait for light to reenter the compartment, and when it does, both of us gasp. It's beautiful; The Capitol. I'm speechless, the colors are impressive, and that description falls short. I see why Winnow dresses like a fruit. I see people dressed as animals, and all sorts of things that just make the Capitol colorful. I laugh at the sight of them but stifle my laugh when I see them point at the train. They know it's a tribute train, and their joy at seeing it makes my stomach sick. They want me dead. The want all but one of us to die, and they don't care who suffers; that's how they entertain themselves. I get over it, and before we know it, we are out of the train, and getting into another car to be taken to the Training Center.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm supposed to be writing an essay but I decided to put it off a little and give you guys another chapter. I'm actually debating whether to continue this story or not :(. I see that people are reading it but no one's telling me anything. I really would love to hear from you. I'll bake you a cake? Does that sound good? Please, please, please review! I'm dying to hear from you! Reviews**** will be _GREATLY_ appreciated :D! The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

4 - The Opening Ceremonies Are a Piece Of Cake

For the first time since being picked, I'm excited. Excited! I'd been feeling mixed emotions the entire time, but none as clear as this. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm happy to be here, getting ready to be prepared to slaughter kids I don't know. _The Training Center better be big!_ I can't wait to get my hands on a sword, a spear, the sharpest weapon the place has. But we have to go to the Remake Center first, meet our stylists, and then do who-knows-what for the next couple of hours.

The prep team makes me strip off my clothes and they begin to work on me. I've taken care of myself, so they tell me I don't need much help, but that I still need to be fixed. Ridiculous Capitol people. I feel I'm fine, but I don't question them, in fact, I don't even listen to them talk. I finally stop thinking of home and begin to form a plan that would keep me alive in the arena. Maybe I should join the Careers. And then towards the end, kill them off one by one. I smile, because that would most likely not happen. I know how to manage weapons, how to survive in the wild – or a simulation of it – but that won't be enough. The Careers want perfect, and I'm everything but that.

The prep team finishes in a surprisingly short time. I knew they would, considering I was in okay condition. Perla smiles. She's my favorite. I love her bright blue hair, with her blue nails, and blue outfit. She's my blueberry. Who I'm scared of is Fir. He has purple designs on his hair. I find him terrifying because when he smiles, his whole face turns purple, giving the impression he's smiling while chocking. I feel he's going to die any minute. I get along with Nevra because she looks like a baby. Her skin is a light pink that makes you want to touch it to see if it's soft, which it is. But she's a thirty four year old with baby skin, and that makes you wonder what she did to herself in order to get that. _How much was she cosmetically altered?_

I decide I need to talk to them. I want to put the robe back on. I almost laugh when I hear their accents. Almost.

"Pliny will be here soon!" Fir with his creepy smile.

"Thanks for letting me know. May I put the robe back on?" me asking Perla.

"No honey, you can't. Pliny must see you first." Nevra.

"But it's cold." It's not.

"Really? I feel like it's hot here." Perla. It's true, it's too hot, but I hate being naked, in front of people who don't know me.

"Let her put on the robe." Fir's smile isn't scary anymore.

"Than –"

"Take that off!" that must be Pliny. His voice is soft but slightly threatening.

"Sorry, she was cold." _Thank you, Nevra!_

"Cold? Impossible. It's hot outside. And it's hot here too."

"It's my fault. I begged them to let me put it on." I defend the team.

The prep team leaves, smiling at me, and I take off the robe. It's torturous to have a man I don't know poke me everywhere when I don't want him to. I fight the urge to punch him and stand still, closing my eyes. I hear something turn on and the room instantly becomes hotter. They really believe I'm cold. I smirk a bit. _You can manipulate these people so easily._

"Why do you laugh?"

"I'm not laughing. Only smiling. There's a difference, a big one."

"Don't give me attitude. I have enough of that already."

Conversation drops. Pliny mentions for me to follow him. I put the robe back on, and soon enough, we get ready to discuss my opening ceremonies outfit.

"Berwin, your fellow tribute's stylist and I want you guys to match, so I designed a costume while she designed the boy version of it. Even though you aren't dressed exactly alike, you will look well together. Any questions?" All I can do is shake my head. I don't really care about this. About anything. I want to be in the Training Center, and I want to be there now. But I have to be patient.

A couple of hours later, I'm dressed in small, electrical blue shorts that have several bundles attached to each side. Yellow boots and a lightning-white short-sleeved blouse, and an electric blue bow tie. The blouse also has bundles that Pliny tells me are detachable. According to Pliny, Lartius and I are _electricity towers._

In a couple of minutes, I'm ready to start the opening ceremonies. Lartius comes in. I fight hard not to laugh. I snort softly, and pass the moment as a sneeze by covering my mouth. He's dressed in tight knee-length gray shorts, a white shirt. He also has bundles. On his legs and elbows. Both of our costumes have suspenders that form patterns on our shirts that give the illusion of electricity towers. Pliny gives me a control to turn on the bundles. My entire costume turns on, making it look like I'm an electrical current. I glow, I crackle, and am electricity. And Lartius will combine our 'electricity' and pretend to be using it to light up these light bulbs placed around the chariot and horses we'll be riding on.

"It's not real, right?" idiotic Lartius.

"What?" Berwin, his stylist, asks him nicely.

"The electricity."

I snort, getting a dirty look from Berwin, but it's Pliny who answers. "No. Be sensible, we can't really kill you. That's in the arena, not here!" _Thanks for the encouragement, Pliny._

Lartius is red. I get on the chariot and then extend my hand and help him get on. His hand fits with mine. I hope its dark enough to cover my blush. As soon as he's completely on and in balance, I drop his hand. I notice he has something in his other one; a plug. "A plug? For what Lartius?"

"My stylist told me I'll pretend to connect our gear and create electricity by connecting the plug, and turning the light bulbs on with a switch."

"Oh," I stammer. "I wasn't told this. I was told mine would do that. Did they tell you we'll be dressed differently?"

"No. This is why I feel stupid wearing this sissy outfit. But I have wires, and I'm fine."

"Wires?"

"Yeah. We'll actually make electricity. Because I hacked into the system of the chariot. And that means that as soon as I turn on the switch, the City Circle's electrical power will go down for five seconds and then it'll go back. The power will resume, but we'll be brighter, does it make sense?"

My eyes open wide, shocked. "You mean, we'll steal their volts, make ourselves brighter with them? You'll channel their electrical current towards our costumes."

Now he's shocked, but he nods. "How would you know? Do you know how it works?"

"Yes, and you're a genius! A genius!" He blushes. We stop talking because the music starts and we have to take our positions for the parade. "But let's use our power packs during the parade. As soon as we enter the City Circle, you hack it, alright?"

He nods once again and the chariot moves forward. I have no time to look around and check the other tributes, let alone their costumes. Silence. A couple of laughs for District 1. A lot of clapping for District 2. District 3 must be sensational because the crowd oohs and aahs. District 4 brings applause too. And then we're next. More laughs, but I turn the costumes on. The laughs turn to gasps. I soon come to realize my costume doesn't only light up. Pliny made it defy gravity. A second look down to the chariot floor makes me realize I'm wrong and a clear platform is giving me height. Lartius and I are in the air. The crowd must think we're defying gravity. I manage to remain calm, and I see myself on a screen; I grab the bundles around my arms and play around, to make it look like I control the electrical circuit, and as we enter the City Circle, I connect it with the point Lartius and I will use to 'make' electricity. The crowd is going wild.

"I'll do it now!" He yells above the crowd to be heard.

"Go ahead!" I yell back.

Lartius pulls the switch and the City Circle is pitch black. People cry out, but the power is back on and we glow brighter. Cries of 'District Five' make me laugh and smile, and I see myself on another screen. I look arrogant, like I feel above everyone else. But I'm laughing because I enjoy the fact that Lartius and I hacked something so powerful, and we could get in trouble if the people of the Capitol ever find out we did it. But it makes the District look more than good. It makes it look dominant and powerful. We keep it up. Lartius pulls the switch one more time and the crowd roars with delight. They're not scared; they are amazed at what two simple tributes have managed to do. We're still smiling when the chariot stops. I try to turn the switch off but decide against it in the end. Some of the other tributes stare at me, at Lartius, and the creativity our stylists have. Only not District 11, because they are looking fantastic. Their stylists filled their chariot with dirt, making the tributes look like they themselves are rising out of their harvest, like they are the force of their district. It looks like this year, Districts 5 and 11 will compete.

President Snow greets the crowd, the tributes, and makes a speech. It seems like the Hunger Games are all speeches. I'm still smiling at the crowd, but not really being conscious of my actions. Because one minute I'm waiving, the other smiling, and the other looking at how Lartius looks at the crowd, at everyone. We grin, we wave, and we smile. The President finishes his speech and we make one more round around the Circle. Lartius makes the light go out once more and completely wins us the crowd. So much for competition with District 11. As we make it back to the Training Center and the doors shut behind 12, Pliny and Berwin are on us, asking how we managed to not make the outfit run out of power.

"Ask Lartius." It's all I can manage to say.

He only smiles, but Skene and Fannia are there, telling our stylists not to pressure him. Our mentors seem protective, defensive even, about Lartius. I frown. Will they not help me? But Skene turns around and smiles. I smile back and think maybe one of them is on my side. Our stylists leave us with our mentors and Fannia gives me a look while hugging Lartius. Skene on the other hand, hugs me. And I know he'll be my mentor, while Fannia will be Lartius'. I can compromise with that.

"We need to go to our floor. Eat, maybe. And rest, you need rest." Skene sounds reasonable.

"They do. Come on Lartius, are you hungry?" Fannia sounds like a mother, there's no other word for it. But only to Lartius. I hate favoritism.

"You're only allowed to go to your district's floor. So for us, it's five only, got it?"

"Yes Skene. Can we eat already?" I sound like I'm five.

"Of course, darling. But you'll change first. I'll show you your room. Fannia?"

"Yes, yes, you do that. I'll take Lartius, right?"

"Alright." Poor Lartius. I can tell he doesn't like being Fannia's favorite. And then I remember. The Baxwolls are well known for being reaped multiple times. Fannia killed his uncle in the fifty eight Games. That's how she won. They were the final two, so she distracted him, and then killed him on the spot. I'm glad I have Skene.

After I finish taking a bath and wash off all the makeup from my face, Skene and Winnow corral me to dinner.

"We were a hit!" Winnow yells as a huge smile comes from both Pliny and Berwin as they praise Lartius' idea.

"All credits to the boy with the wires!" I bow at him, praising him myself. He's a dark shade of red now, so we leave him alone.

We are eating and I don't register what I'm putting in my mouth, the conversation is so engrossing. I don't even keep up with it. All I do is nod or shake my head when someone looks my way. I start noticing small things only I would take time to memorize. My company and their loud laughs. How we're managed to form our own family given the circumstances. We all share a connection; Lartius, Skene, Fannia, and I. Fannia's eyes are pale green. Skene's light auburn hair. The color of Lartius' shirt, a soft blue. And before I know it, my hands are on his shirt, tugging the fabric, wanting it for myself. _It's a nice shade of blue._

"What exactly do you think you're doing!?" Fannia's voice interrupts me from the daydream, the hue in Lartius' shirt.

"My favorite color's blue." A stupid answer.

"That's how you defend yourself? You have no right to strip him off his clothes!"

"Fannia, you leave her alone." Lartius is angry, defending me.

"Alright! All of you! Fighting before the arena? I expected better Fannia, especially after last year's Games. Lartius, Rhymer, no arguments, please." Skene has us under control.

Winnow walks in on us, not knowing about the argument. "Time to watch the ceremonies!" Seeing a slight commotion, all the excitement leaves her face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's alright." Somehow, I'm the one speaking. I find my hands are on my lap again.

We settle around the screen; I sit as far away from Fannia as I can, and watch the Tribute Parade begin. I don't register a single costume, only ours. We really did great. I can't help admire Lartius' creativeness over the electricity hacking during the Parade. The cameras manage to capture everything, including the blackout. I guess the people who run the program must have put the whole thing together after filming. I'm positive the power out must have caused trouble for the reporters. Apart from us, I focus on 11. They look great with their bright arrangement of colors, rising out of the dirt, making them silent but deadly. I can't suppress a gasp. This year, it looks like we will compete against 11. All the other districts will be a distraction. The real Games appear to be 11 and 5, and that's if we break through the Career's forces.

As the program ends, the reporters are saying what I've been thinking since the beginning of the Parade. "It look like these year's Games will be in favor of either District 5 or 11." the television blares as Lartius and I leave the room.

He's behind me by the time I reach my door. "You did really well." I can't help admiring him.

"It wasn't much. I was able to hack it too easily. I guess they don't think anyone would do such a thing." That's his answer. He doesn't take any form of credit. I only smile, and before I know it, I'm kissing him on the check and closing the door to my room. As I lay down I come to realize something. I want to find any excuse to talk to him, to be near him. And although it is something beautiful, I'm terrified of this feeling. As much as I'm liking the churning in my stomach, it has to go. The rest of the night passes with me thinking about Lartius. _A boy I just met._ Just thinking about him makes my heart beat faster and hard as I try, I can't seem to get him out of my head. The last comforting though before I fall asleep is Lartius. His blushing smile shines behind my eyelids. I smile too.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I finished my essay (no one cares!) and since Martin Luther King Jr day is tomorrow... No school for me (still no one cares)! Spare time for me means more story time for you, children. Here, I present chapter 5. I have decided that I'm still willing to upload my awful story because one particular reviewer (and the only one, mind you) seems very excited to see what happens to the main character here. Thank you, to rosie . horgan . 7! You rock and I owe you a million cakes and several dozens of cookies. Friendly reminder to please, please, please review! I'll bake you a cake! I'm dying to hear from you! Reviews**** will be _GREATLY_ appreciated :D! The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

5 - Training, For Real

Winnow wakes me up at eight in the morning. I feel like going back to sleep, but she keeps on knocking until I open the door. I get ready and make my way to breakfast. Once downstairs, we all sit and I find myself not wanting to talk to anyone. There's not much conversation, and when Winnow or Skene try to get me to talk, I quickly let the conversation die with short yes or no answers. Eventually, everyone understands that I don't want to participate and they just let me eat in silence. As soon as we finish eating, Winnow rushes us to the elevator.

We make it on time. _Thank you for waking us up early, Winnow!_ But we aren't the first pair of tributes. Ironically, we're the fifth set to arrive. An Avox hands me a shirt with my district's number on it. Another Avox does the same to Lartius. More pairs of tributes come down. When all of us are finally down, we gather around Silver, the training head lady, and she explains what we can and cannot do during the three training days ahead of us. Then she explains we must also be here for the private session. We all nod and scatter around. Lartius and I end up together. As usual, the Careers are on the hardest stations, handling the sharpest and deadliest weapons with a smug look on their face. Every other tribute is on their own, looking like they are too scare to make friends, or allies. I turn to Lartius.

"Look, I'm not sure of Skene will agree to let us train together so in the meantime, let's just train separately and see how that goes." I quickly tell Lartius. I just want to head over to the knives.

Lartius doesn't questions me. He looks like he wants to object but thinks better of it. He only nods. We don't talk after that. In fact, I leave him in the obstacle course and head for the knives section.

"What are you doing here, tiny?" Daniela from District 1. She's taller than me by at least three inches, which isn't much. I raise my eyebrows.

"Do you own this place?" I'm sarcastic.

"No. But I bet I'm better than you in this section, so why don't you leave?" She stares at me, and I stare back.

"No. You look, tiny. I am here to practice for these Games. You're not going to stop me, alright!?" I'm positive the entire Center is quiet, listening to us.

"Hmm. Show me what you've got Five." It's one of the twins from District 2, the boy, Grandis.

I smile. He's cute, and the sneer makes him cuter. "Oh, I will." Silver's managed to make everyone go back to their stations. I concentrate. "From which knife selection can I take?"

"Any."

I grab a small collection of about five knives that are really simple and light weighted. I concentrate one more time and walk to the middle of the knife throwing zone. I close my eyes, taking my time. I hear Daniela snort. That makes me snap. I begin to throw knife after knife after knife. Each one finds its target, and I can tell the blade has sunk in deeply. Several minutes and gasps later, after I've gone through two more set of knives, I get out of the zone and look at the Careers.

"So, what do you think?"

"Wow, Five, you throw better than Danny!"

"Shut up, Grandis." Daniela snarls.

Septimus, from District 1 and Rulapia, the other twin from District 2, come over from the spear section. They bring the tributes from District 4. There are a lot of introductions and then I'm told I'm part of the Career group. _That was easy._ Valeria and Gunnar, from District 4, seem impressed with me because I'm not a Career, yet I've managed to enter the group. The Careers lead me to the spear section. I can tell Lartius wants to catch my eye, but I do my best to avoid him.

"So, Five, what else can you do?" Grandis again.

"My name's Rhymer, and some other things. I know some sword play, well, and archery. A bit about running too. You know, it really helps."

"I want to call you 'five'. And what about spears?"

"Easy. Similar to arrows, no?"

"I like your style." Septimus.

"Thanks Septimus. That is your name, right?"

Septimus chuckles. "Yes it is. And it looks like Danny's jealous. Hey, Daniela, wait!"

"Oops. Too bad. Grandis, what are you staring at?" Rulapia, distracting her brother.

"Nothing. I want to see Five throw a spear and then sword fight with a trainee. Don't you Valeria? Gunnar?"

It seems Grandis feels he's too superior to learn my name. He calls me by my district number. That's how the first day goes. I'm taken from station to station by the Careers. They're all eager to welcome me into the alliance. Except Daniela, she keeps her distance.

Its lunch time soon and the fellow members of my group join several tables together so we can all sit and talk strategy. I ask to be excused, if I can go eat with someone else. They're reluctant to let me sit somewhere else, but it's Daniela who makes them agree to let me go. When I see him, I walk towards him. As I get closer, I notice he's made his own alliance. The twins from District 8, the Overwhills. And the tributes from District 11.

"Lartius!?" My voice is twenty octaves higher than usual. _Why is he doing this?_

"Rhymer, nice of you to tell me your strategy."

"I was testing. I didn't know it would turn out like this." My reply is weak. I say it boldly nonetheless. I don't want him to think he has me down, because he doesn't.

"No, I don't think so. You know what? It's alright. We can all make alliances. You've chosen the Careers, I take these twins. They may be two, but it's like they are a Career force on their own. And Orchid and Caldwell, they're excellent. Go sit with your friends, I'll sit with mine. Alright?" _I've lost him._ I struggle against the tears that want to pool in my eyes. I can't feel this for _him_. The girl, Althea; one of the twins; smiles at Lartius, but stops when she sees me. I give her the coldest look I can give and Lartius gets up. His eyes are as cold as mine. He's about to speak when I leave. I don't want to hear it. I'm mad at myself. I have to go with my plan, though. At least I have a chance to win now.

"I was wrong. May I eat with you?" back with the Career group, the boys and girls agree. Again, Daniela shows a case of sour grapes when I'm accepted. Septimus scolds her. I tell him to stop. Daniela is even more enraged than before, and I have no idea what I have to do. Everyone's furious at me.

"So Five. More practice tomorrow, alright?" Grandis and his stupid nickname.

"Yeah, no big deal, Two!"

He smiles widely and we leave. I take the elevator to the fifth floor, my district floor, and when I get off, I take Skene by the arm and into my room.

"Skene, I joined the Career group."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: It's Tuesday again. Means I get to upload again. I'm so touched by how many people took time their time to read my story ^.^ Your heart is golden, my lovelies ^-^. Here's Chapter 6! ********It would be lovely to hear from you (whether it is to tell me if I suck or if I'm good) so don't mind giving me reviews. They'll be _GREATLY _appreciated :D! ****The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

6 - More Training Days

The next training day is easier than the first. We're now taken from station to station instead of choosing our own. We line up in district order, with the boy first, and show off our skills to everyone else. It's slightly amusing to see the other tribute's reactions to us Careers.

The first station we go to is sword fighting. Being the first, Septimus tries to show off but drops his sword and all of us burst out laughing. At least, we Careers do. Everyone else seems too scared in the light of events to so much as smile. Daniela does fine but constantly complained afterwards that the sword was the wrong size. Grandis is brutal. The only good thing about this part of training is that we're not against real people, or they would be dead. Rulapia is slightly better than Septimus but I don't think she'll ever pass Grandis. As she's going back to the end of the next line, she shrugs. Gunnar only manages to behead two dummies and gives up. Valeria is faster than Gunnar, but she's slightly uncoordinated and quickly loses her balance. Lartius lazily takes the sword and doesn't do much against the dummies. Then it's my turn. The Ivory twins, Valeria and Gunnar cheer for me. Daniela and Septimus are too busy talking. I take the sword and immediately feel that Danny was right. It _feels wrong_ in my hand. It will have to do. I see the dummies coming at me and I tell myself the sword is an extension to my arm. I hack, slash and stab at every dummy that comes. I end up breathing heavily and catch Lartius' eye. He looks dumbfounded before quickly recovering. A quick grin from Grandis confirms I did well. I rank second, right after him.

The same thing happens during the other stations. I rank third in spear and trident throwing and in arrow shooting. I rank second again in weight throwing and in plant identification. I rank third in camouflage, knots and axe throwing.

When we get to knife throwing, I'm positive I'll get second because of Daniela. She was not only accurate in her throws; she was also _graceful_. I didn't even _know_ you could do that whilst throwing knives. When it's my turn, I forget everything and lose myself in the throwing. The only thing I register is that instead of getting a ten knives count like everyone else before me, Silver lets me throw around ten more. I end up still standing in the position I started in, but the boards in front of me have three or four knives stuck on each. After I get at the end of the next line, the training has to be stopped for several minutes because the training assistants can't get the knives out of the boards. Grandis and Valeria grin wildly at me while Daniela is more than sullen.

The final station they make us go through is the obstacle course; a series of boards stretched around on one side of the training center. The floor levels vary, because where the floor is dipped in some parts, in others, it raises at around six feet. Training assistants scramble to get into their positions in the course. All of us watch as the tribute whose turn is up struggles to complete the course in the shortest amount of time. Septimus falls halfway and almost breaks his ankle. Daniela loses time when she has to climb the rope to get out of a pit and she can't get more than three feet up. Grandis doesn't have much of a problem and his time must be great. It turns out Rulapia is afraid of heights and stays in high ground for _minutes_ before someone rules that she can't finish the course and they pull her out. Gunnar falls just passing the net and if it weren't for it, he would have broken something. Valeria, like Grandis, manages to complete it without much of a flaw. Lartius falls when one of the assistants whacks him with a foam club. I almost cry out but manage to swallow my scream. I breathe normally again when he gets up and continues on his way. He also struggles when he has to cross with the rings. And when he has to fight with a club against another pair of trainees. He comes out clean through the net but can't seem to climb down. When he finds the ladder he only goes halfway down then jumps off to make it to the end. He moves to the tables when Silver gives him his time. He's face is blank; I've got no idea what he got.

I get in position to start the course. When Silver gives me the cue, I'm off. The first obstacle are a couple of boards that I have to jump through. I easily dodge the clubs and trainees to make it to the pit. I slide off and roll to make it to the bottom. I'm climbing the rope when I feel it begin to shake. I now understand why Daniela had a hard time moving up. The higher I go, the harder it is to climb. Luckily, the rope leaves me close to the walls of the pit and I'm able to use them to help myself climb. I scramble as fast as I can to the top and swing my legs to get back to ground level. As I roll off, I remember that I have to jump more. Jumping and dodging, I make it to the six foot ledge and almost get knocked down by a club. Climbing a small ladder, I make it to the rings when I trip and go over the edge. I hear several gasps but I let myself hang for several seconds before swinging myself over to stand on the ledge again. I act as if nothing happened and quickly grab a set of rings and swing myself using them to get the other side. I begin my jump down and I knock the club out of a trainee's hand. I jump the final six inch ledge and grab a firm hold of the net. I spread my legs on each side and climb as swiftly as possible. I feel it trying to turn itself over. If it does, I will have a hard time climbing it. I climb it faster and I reach the top before it turns. I see the ladder and I do the same as Lartius; halfway down, I jump off and finish the course.

"Four minutes and twenty six seconds. Great time. You're right after Grandis and Valeria. You can go now." Silver whispers and I head for the tables. The kids from Technology are sitting next to each other but are quiet. Lartius is off to one side, waiting for his group of allies. The rest of the Careers are talking excitedly. I reach them and sit down, quickly catching up with the conversation. I'm facing the course and, while listening to the conversation, I'm also watching the rest of the tributes struggle with the obstacle.

"Look! Someone's about to fall!" I'm not even sure what district it is, but someone's hanging by one hand. And that person's in the middle of the ring cross. A ten foot fall. A couple of trainees are already under the tribute and all of us who are done are standing, craning our necks to see the situation. After several minutes, we find out it was the boy from 9. He's _carried_ by an assistant all the way to the tables. When everyone else is done, we all get ready to leave. Grandis comes up behind me and pulls my arm before I can get on an elevator. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lartius drop something and fall behind but I ignore it. I don't want to constantly keep him under my sight; I just can't help it.

"Five, I –" I interrupt Grandis.

"I want you to use my real name! At least once."

He smiles. He shakes his head. "Okay. Listen here, Five. I want to give you something. A tribute never stops training. Especially a Career. Here you go." He sneaks a knife into my hand and gives me a stern but playful look. I smile back and wink.

"Of course, sir." Then I got into an elevator with him, Lartius and Majoris.

There's awkward silence after Grandis gets off on the second floor. I wave goodbye and start to play with the knife. I obviously can't throw it, but I fling it into the air often and catch it with my other hand. I know it's dangerous, but the danger thrills me so much, I keep doing it. The boys stare at me until Lartius and I have to get off on the fifth floor. I pocket the knife and go straight to my room. I go to sleep right away and wake up briefly for supper before heading back to sleep. _Who knew training for a small amount of time could be so hard?_

The next and final day of training, we are allowed to move around the stations for the first half. Then we make another round of lining up and showing off our skills with each other. Some people seemed to have improved while others actually got worse. I can't understand how training could make you worst. I got the same rankings in almost everything. Except I got second in axe throwing, spear throwing and the course, meaning I'd moved up. The rest stayed the same, including my first place in knife throwing.

At the end of everything, Silver gathers us to dismiss us, but not before she tells us to not forget about the private session tomorrow. We all nod in agreement and the Avoxes let us into the elevators in pairs of two. The worst part is that it _has_ to be with your district partner. I know that Lartius keeps quiet in all the elevator rides with me. That's why when the doors close, it shocks me when he speaks.

"Nice job. You looked so focused on training. I bet you'll get a good score." But he is monotone. I don't reply. I know what I've done, and if he has noticed, I want to pretend like I don't care. But _of course_ I do. I don't know if he has noticed me watching him too. "But I want to ask something. I want to know," he seems to hesitate.

"Oh, is that so." I state. It's not a question. When I don't continue, he just plows through.

"I just wanted to know why you joined them."

A pregnant silence follows; even when we get off on our floor. He follows me to my room. As much as I try to think of an answer and delay my response, it's no use. "I want to win. I promised my sister." The words come out as a whisper, and I hope against hope that he didn't hear me.

He nods and before I can stop him, he gives me an awkward hug. Then it turns into a tender one. I tense up, then slowly relax into his arms. My nose comes in contact with him collarbone and I lean against him. Without realizing, my nose is hungrily collecting his smell, but thankfully, I'm doing it quietly. He must think I'm sobbing because he rubs my back carefully and ever so softly. My arms are no longer at my side, but clutching his back, and that's when I realize that I _am_ crying. A silent shudder tears through my body and Lartius pulls me closer. He is the only real thing; he's holding me in place, not letting me fall apart. The silence turns into a comfortable, peaceful quiet.

Skene comes to find us, to see why neither of us are at dinner, and I hide in Lartius' neck. I feel Lartius shielding me, and I can feel he's moving his head. Skene's footsteps start up again and dimly disappear until we're both alone again.

"Sorry. Sorry. I am so sorry." The tears are pooling again, but I must hold everything in. I am but a weakling, crying here with Lartius. He doesn't reply, only pats my head. He cups his hand to my wet check, quickly wiping the tears with his thumb. A strangled 'thank you' leaves my mouth before I force myself to move and go to my room. Without even changing into a nightgown or any other form of sleepwear, I collapse on the bed and fall asleep before my head hits the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Two chapters in a day! It's snowing horribly, here in New York and I can't go anywhere without freezing solid. So here's another chapter. I'm, holed in :(. Oh, and um, everyone seemed to like the last chapter :)! I was so excited when I saw the numbers. Don't forget to review. Please, please, please let me know what you think! And excuse the crappy, short chapter. ************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

7 - Nightmares

"_Run! Go! They're coming to kill us! Go!"_

"_What? I don't understand. What are you talking about, dad? Dad?"_

"_Rhymer, they took us, and they want to take you too. You have to win the Games. They're going to kill us. Your mother might go unconscious soon. Just run!"_

"_Dad, no! I'm going to help."_

A shudder wakes me up. I can still see my father's broken figure on the floor, his blood quickly pooling around my shoes. My mother was out of my field of vision, but that didn't stop me from hearing her cries; her screams for help. My hands are over my ears. _As if that will stop you from remembering._ Shaking my head to do my best to get the horrible images and sounds from my nightmare, I slowly look up at the clock installed into the ceiling.

'_4:36'_

Owlishly peeking towards the window, I notice the sky is still dark, a sign that I didn't read the time wrong like I'd thought. I still have some time left to sleep. Skene will surely wake me in a few hours, but some rest is better than nothing. Sinking back into the mattress and softly lined covers, I do my best to let sleep take another hold on me.

"_Rhymer, are you alright? Wake up!" Skene's words break into the room, loud and confused._

_I try to speak but my mouth is no longer there. Panic takes a hold on me and I touch my lips to ensure I'm not insane. To my complete relief, I still have a mouth, but I still can't seem to speak. I scream, and a guttural sound escapes my mouth. I scream again and the sound is the same; thick and animalistic. I put my hand inside my mouth and feel around. My tongue is gone. My fingers begin to search more frantically, as if my tongue and fingers were playing a cruel game of hide and seek. It can't be true. Screaming again, the noises verify I'm tongue-less. Skene must have heard my screams. He breaks down my door. In the instant that I shield my eyes from the broken fragments, the splinters of the wood from the door, I am no longer in the room._

_Tied to a cool, metal table, my body struggles to break free. Considering this whole scenario must be a fragment of my imagination, pieces of my bedraggled mind, I consider telling myself to wake up._

"_Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!" I shout desperately into my mind. My tongue is still missing. Skene enters the room, dressed in a white lab coat. A syringe in hand, slowly approaching me, alike a hungry animal hunts a wounded, scared meal. Another scream escape me, and I finally accept my tongue is no longer a part of me. More struggling and shuddering issues from me, though it is losing strength._

_A soft whisper, the last sliver of hope, tells me one last time to wake up. After that, I feel empty, and Skene's slow approach leaves me numb._

"_This won't hurt, I promise. Just relax." Skene's soft, yet strong voice doesn't soothe me. On the contrary, my mind goes into panic mode again, and my mouth is jealous, because it's cruel to speak in front of a person who can't. The syringe enters my arm and the effects are immediate. Colors burst into my field of vision, obscuring Skene behind blue, pink, purple, yellow, and green, red._

_A final attempt to speak grips me, but the same gruff noise leaves me, and I sink into the arms of sleep._

"No!" I shriek into the room. My cheeks are wet, and I find my arms red, as if I had tried to take something off with just my nails. I am shaking and shivering, although I'm covered from the waist and under. This isn't helping. I can't afford to breakdown like this, not after all the hard work, and definitely not in the arena. Shaking sleep away, I look up at the clock.

'_7:52'_

Heading to the bathroom is a great idea right now. And it's a good thing I woke up early today. I don't need Skene to babysit me. I'm responsible enough. A quick shower followed by a fast choice of clothes and a quick hairstyle has me down to the eating table in less than thirty minutes. Skene meets me at the table.

"Here's the plan for your private session."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I know the last chapter was lame. Since there's so much snow and ice here where I live, I'm going to have a lot of free time for a couple of days. So here's Chapter 8. I know it's short like the previous one, but I'm going to upload another chapter or two today! Please review! ****************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

8 - The Private Session

We make our way to the seats, before finding Lartius and Fannia. I avoid both and sit next to Skene. I need him to win. He has a few tricks up his sleeve. As we eat breakfast, I get nervous. I tell Skene I'll probably mess up so bad, I'd probably get a three or something. But he says the odds of getting an eight or higher are in my favor due to the training days' effort I built up. I'm still not sure, but he's the more experienced one. He's the victor after all. As we finish, I look ready to pass out due to the nerves. Skene and Winnow try to get me to feel confident, and it must have worked, because by the time I'm riding the elevator with Lartius to the Training Center, I'm all smiles. As soon as the elevator doors open, the Careers are waiting for me and I quickly leave Lartius to his own self. We chatter excitedly for some minutes, but a Capitol person comes over to the group, tells us to listen, and talks to everyone. She explains how we'll soon be evaluated and that we must remain as quiet as possible. She leaves and almost immediately, the conversations start up again.

"Daniela Edenthaw!" Comes a voiceover and Danny begins to panic. We all smile at her and tell her she'll do fine, and that she should get going. A door opens and she quickly disappears. We wait for the next person to be called. Septimus, Rulapia and Grandis are called soon after and I'm left with only Gunnar and Valeria to keep me company. The tributes from 3 go pretty fast, and then, it's only Gunnar and me. Then it's just me. Since the Career group was the largest and loudest, with only me left, the place is much quieter and grimmer. "Rhymer Lockhearst!" I swallow a panicked shriek and get up. Moving towards the door, I pass by Lartius. He mumbles something that I don't manage to capture because I'm dazed out of nerves. But I figure it's something along the lines of 'good luck', so all I manage is a quick 'you too' and I'm crossing the door.

My legs, brain and heart are three separate things I seem to have lost. My legs act confident, my brain is asleep, so I process nothing around me, and my heart is about to burst out of my chest. My ears pop and suddenly, the Center is too loud. I walk over to the knives. Ten different kinds are arranged in neat rows. I grab one of each and head to the boards. As I'm walking there, I begin to relax, and focus on what I'm about to do. I know I can't mess up because a good score means sponsors. To make it out alive, I need sponsors.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Inhale, exhale. Ready? Let's do this._

I can feel all the Gamemakers' eyes on me, and I can feel the pressure. Same as always, I ignore it and face the boards with determination. As each board lights up overhead, I sink a knife as fast as I can. The first three knives are easy, but the next consecutive ones aren't. The lights are constantly blinking, and I end up almost dropping a knife. I manage to not make it obvious, and I run to get ten more. The lights blink more ferociously and as I run back to the boards, I chose to throw the knives while going back. As the final board lights up and I release the knife, I make it to the standing mark in front of the boards. I am breathless, but I feel alive and I feel a goofy grin slipping across my face. I dare not look at the Gamemakers, waiting for my grin to vanish and to catch my breath. Once that's done, I turn to I look up at the Gamemakers, and all are frozen, staring at me, like I'm something too weird or too amazing to not look at. I clear my throat because the staring and silence are making me uncomfortable. I don't mind silence, but I detest when people stare at me, regardless of a reason or not.

"You may go." The wheezing voice of the Head Gamemaker travels down to me and I bow and walk out. I hope I did okay. As I'm taking the elevator, I wonder what I'll tell Skene when I get off.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I did promise at least another chapter, right? Here's #9. Once again, excuse the last two chapters, as they were pathetic and short. But this one's a little longer. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you that has read this story so far :)! You are stars. Please don't forget to review! ********************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

9 - The Training Scores

"Rhymer, how did -?" I don't let Skene finish because as I walk, I'm talking. By the time we arrive at the door of my room, I've finished, and I've told Skene what happened. He looks at me and gives me a strong hug.

"I'm so proud of you. Well done! I'm glad all your hard work paid off. I think I can give you the day off. If you'd like, of course."

"Yeah, thanks. Are you sure it will be okay if I take the day off? You don't want me to practice anything else?" I'm glad I get the day off, but I want to do something.

"No, it's fine. Rest. Oh look, Lartius must be up. I hear Fannia speaking." I nod tensely and open the door to my room. It seems Lartius had a fast session. Why should I care anyways? But that means he won't get many sponsors if he has a low score. I lock myself in and go to the bathroom. I take out the knife Grandis gave me. I hid it in the medicine cabinet before I fell asleep the day he gave it to me.

Two hours later, I'm still throwing the knife at the wall. I'm suddenly wishing I had at least two more. It would be worth it to go back and forth to get three knives, not just one. Since I've only been throwing one, the wall I've been using as a target now has a three-inch-deep tiny hole. I hope this doesn't get me in trouble. As I'm throwing the knife again, the lock rattles and Skene bursts into my room. He freezes when he sees the knife flying across the room. I stare intensely at the knife until Skene speaks.

"What are you even doing?" Skene asks harshly. All I do is shrug. "How did you manage to sneak the knife up?"

"Career." it's all I say.

"Great," Skene's sarcasm is tangible. "You shouldn't be too friendly with them. I know you joined them for a reason. But don't befriend them too much. You know that they will turn on you to ensure their survival, right?"

"Yes," I nod. "I do know. It was just a joke between Grandis and me. You know, the boy from Two."

"Anyways, we need to go see the tribute scores. Let's go see how well you did. Come on." He crosses his arms while he waits for me to dislodge the knife from the wall. Same as always, on the mark. I put it away. Skene still has his arms crossed as he leads me down to the screen that will show the tribute scores. We find Winnow preparing the screen for all of us. Lartius and Fannia catch up shortly after and so do our stylists. Winnow turns up the volume on the screen and we settle down on the fluffy couch in front of the screen.

"Hello Panem! Welcome to yet another year of Hunger Games! Are you ready for some action? It seems we're ready for some fun!" _Fun?_ "We've gotten to the point in the Games where we have to evaluate our tributes. We're about to tell you their training scores. What say you, Caesar? Any surprises this year?" Both reporters sounds enthusiastic.

"Oh, this is the year, Claudius!" Caesar replies. "You'll be announcing the boys, I the girls."

"Yes. A little tip for our audience now! Time to get your money and pens ready, ladies and gents! This is the time to know which tribute's your best betting choice, and which one's not worth even a dime. Although most hold promise, one never knows!" Claudius is coldhearted. I let it go and keep on listening. "Well, this is it. For District One; Luxury. We have Septimus with a nine." Well, typical Career. Claudius and Caesar take turns.

"And we have Daniela with a nine also."

"For District Two; Masonry. We have Grandis with a ten."

"And we have Rulapia with a nine."

"For District Three; Technology. We have Martial with a six."

"Oh, that sounds kind of low. But here's Pomeline with a five."

"For District Four; Fishing. We have Gunnar with a nine."

"And we have Valeria with a ten." How did Valeria…?

"For District Five; Power. We have Lartius-," We all lean forward. "With an eight!" We all relax a little. But then, I'm up.

"And we have Rhymer with a ten." _What? A ten?_ I hide my face in my hands while everyone taps me in the head, or pats my back. I let out a choked sob and then sign. A ten. The tense is gone. I got a good score. We stay and listen to everyone else's.

"For District Six; Transportation. We have Cordo with a five."

"And Vibia with five also."

"For District Seven; Lumber. We have Struve with a six."

"And Pleione with a four."

"For District Eight; Textiles. We have Majoris with a seven."

"And Althea with an eight."

"For District Nine; Grain. We have Runyon with a three."

"And Briar with a seven." Again, the girl passes the boy. We're almost done.

"For District Ten; Livestock. We have Ovid with a four."

"And Dorothea with a six."

"For District Eleven; Agriculture. We have Caldwell with an eight."

"And Orchid with an eight too."

"And for District Twelve; Mining. We have Leonis with a six."

"And lastly Katri with a four."

"This, my dear friends, concludes our tribute scores. Hope you got some hopes up and you did some eliminations, because we are now ready for these Games to begin!"

"Thanks, Claudius. Bare you goodnight folks!"

It finished. Caesar was the last to speak, and when he's done, the screen is turned off. I head off to my room. Time to go to sleep. To rest, and get ready for the next two days, when it's time for our interviews.

I'm lock myself up in my room for the rest of the night. I'm debating whether I should go to sleep or not. Around midnight, a knock breaks through the silence.

"Yes?"

"Lartius. It's me, Lartius." He whispers softly through the door.

"Okay," I breathe out nervously. I decide I will sleep. "The door's unlocked, but wait for me to open. I have to use the bathroom." I speak to Lartius now as I walk away from the door. In doing so, I take my shirt off. I have nothing on except for an undergarment for my chest. A gasp makes me turn around. I thought Lartius was going to _wait_. He didn't, and I look down at my bare feet with a dark flush creeping across my face and the room instantly becomes suffocating.

"I can leave," Lartius blurs out.

"No, it's fine."

"Are you sure? I'll leave."

"No, wait." I cross over to him and grip his arm. "Just give me a minute, I swear I'll be fast."

"Okay." He walks over to the bed and averts his eyes. I rush to the bathroom and then to the wardrobe. I put on a grey cotton shirt and matching pants. Quickly braiding my hair, I sit down on the bed. I try not to sit too close to him. I slowly scoot over to the edge of the bed.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Just came to wish you good luck, you know. Great training score. Goodnight." I'm baffled by his getting-to-the-point attitude. He's about to leave when I stop him.

"Why do you bother? It's not like we're friends, you know." I say harshly.

"Whoa." He turns back slowly, and his eyebrows are knitted together. Knots form in my stomach. "It's like I said in the train. I'm just being friendly and smart, here. If you don't want to take it, fine. But don't go crying or start moping when I'm no longer friendly or up to any proposals, alright?" He ends up shouting. He leaves my room by slamming the door.

I give out a groan. _Did he just threaten me?_ _He's no_ threat _to me_. I have bigger problems than him. Winning the Games is one. The other is being able to outsmart and beat the rest of the Careers in order to win. Those are the real threats. I let out another frustrated groan. I curl my hand into a fist and hit the wall. Afterwards, I call it a night. I crawl under the sheets of the bed, cradling my stinging hand, fuming inside.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I know! It's Tuesday again! *intense, disappointed groaning and screaming in the background* I know 99.99999% of you are angry over the fact that this is a fan fiction but I haven't even mention any of the characters from the books. The story goes slowly, and I hope you can be patient enough to get to the rest of it. I do promise I'll pick up the pace. Since once a week is so dreadful, I've decided to upload several chapters at a time on Tuesdays. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. It's been wonderful to write this! Please don't forget to review. You get a free virtual cookie of you do! ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

10 - Before the Interview

"Up, Rhymer! We need to find your interview angle. Fannia's already trying to get Lartius up but he won't budge. Be the mature one and get up, please!"

"I'm up!" A hoarse cry leaves my mouth.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep last night was the crying. I lulled myself to sleep with tears streaming down my face. Shudders occasionally shook my body and this bed didn't squeak like mine back at home because this one's so new. I cried all through the night; in my sleep. The wet circle on the feathery pillow confirms this. I rush to the bathroom to try to wash away all the tears from my face. Tapping my eyelids when I close my eyes to make the redness go away, I let down my hair and brush it. I stall a few more minutes. I'm good at stalling, apparently. The redness slightly less noticeable, I make my way out of the room. I see Lartius is waiting for me. I pretend his not there. After last night, it's much harder to do so. I manage.

"Rhymer." I stop in my tracks.

"No. Skene said I was late for the interview angles. I have to go. Just forget it, Lartius. Last night never happened."

"Don't be like that."

I turn around harshly, and quickly snap at him. "From what I remember last night, Lartius Baxwoll, you were that one that threatened to not be friendly anymore. If you just throw words at the wind, that you. But I don't see why you're demanding I act friendly and that I still talk to you." My response leaves him baffled. I raise my eyebrows and leave him standing there.

I quickly find Skene talking with Winnow and Fannia. The hushed conversation stops and I ask what's on the agenda for today before the silence gets too awkward.

"We need to find your interview angle. I'll catch up to you in your room. For now, go with Winnow. She'll give you some pointers." Skene quickly replies before taking Fannia by the shoulders and going to the screen room.

"Let's get started!" Winnow takes me by the shoulders too, but leads me to my room. We find Lartius still standing in the same place I left him in. Winnow nods at him softly and he seems to snap out of his revive. We leaving him outside. Once inside my room, Winnow sits with me in the bed. "Any interview angle you have in mind?"

Initially, when I said I would do a Career, I sort of took it a bit too far. Not only did I train for the Games themselves, I practically trained for everything. I sat down on my own one night, when my parents went to the weekly adult electrical program, and pretended to answer some questions that randomly popped into my mind. One I really remember I tried hard to elaborate on was one that said: To whom would you dedicate your victory to, in case you win? I instantly thought of Ashby. Then I said my parents. In reality I was aiming for a funny angle, but if I mentioned my family in any sort of way, I would sound sentimental. I then pretended my three minutes weren't up and said I would dedicate my victory to my dog. I had never in my life owned a cat, but I was determined to get my angle right. So I went for cat and imagined whole crowds laughing at my wit.

"I want to be funny. I had some ideas in mind." I reply fast. My excitement makes Winnow smile. Her smile says she's spoiling her favorite pet.

"Oh, good. Already prepared. I hope this goes fast. But we have to work with your posture and such things. Skene will be the one to help you with your angle. But don't worry, we'll be done soon. Just cooperate." Winnow finishes with a smile. First, she has me walk in high heels, then a dress, then the high heels with the dress. I find everything quite comfortable, even though I've never worn high heels in my life. A dress, yes. High heels, never. But it isn't torture. Skene catches up halfway through my walking session. I laugh a lot. I even trip once and almost land on my face, but Skene saves me from falling. We all laugh and quickly return to the duty at hand. We do finish pretty fast. I'm back in my regular clothes and I'm sitting peacefully on the bed, waiting for Skene to set up the timer.

"Well, look at you, miss perfect. You keep surprising me much; I'll most likely die of a heart attack." Skene's mocking me.

"Oh, Skene, stop it, you!" I punch him in the arm softly. I mocking him back and blush a little just to go along. Winnow chuckles lightly and gets up.

"I've got to go. I'll see you at dinner, I assume?" As both Skene and I nod, Winnow leaves. It's just Skene and I in the room. I'm a tad nervous about how Skene will criticize my angle. I try to loosen up and get ready. I have to be comfortable.

"So tell me girl, what's your angle?"

"Funny. Witty."

"Well, you sure got that down."

"Then what do we do?"

"Just to make sure, I'll ask you some questions, alright?"

"No problem! Let's start." My eagerness takes Skene by surprise. I just want to know if I'm truly prepared or not.

"Let's set the timer." As he punches some numbers in, I inhale and exhale as normally as possible. I try not to get my breathing out of control. "Ready?"

"Never been readier."

"Have you felt you've prepared enough for these Games, Ms. Lockhearst?"

I think it through and then reply. "If you count eating food while watching recaps of other Games, then sure thing!" I sort of shout it out. Skene laughs loudly, and I can't help feeling slightly proud. I've been so drilled on training on my own, it's finally paid off.

"We'll count it from now on. How confident are you on winning these Games?"

"As confident as a District Five power plant that will never run out of electricity."

"That was slightly informative, Rhymer." Skene mocks, but I shrug it off. "Very informative." He winks. 'Regaining' his professionalism, Skene continues. "That's very confident. If you won, you would dedicate this victory to –?"

I don't think about it anymore. "Oh, that one's hard. I have many important people in my life. But I'll have to go with someone really important. My cat."

Skene roars and looks like he's crying. I'm slightly shocked by his reaction. I'm not _that_ funny.

"Okay, Rhymer, stop. You have you angle, alright. You have it. You have it." Skene appears to be struggling to talk and I notice he's holding his stomach from so much laughter. _I am not that funny!_ "Just for that, have another day off. You are more than prepared. Just no more knife throwing, alright?" He slowly gets up from the bed and walks to the door. He seems to hesitate on the way out.

"Is something wrong?" I ask a little too innocently, but I hope he doesn't do what I think he will. _Please don't do it please don't do it please don't do it_.

"On second thought…" Skene comes back into the room. "I'll take the knife."

"What? No! I promise I won't use it anymore, but please, let me keep it."

"I would rather not risk it. Just be a good kid and give it up."

"Why!?"

"Stop being childish. Give up the knife, Rhymer. Come on."

I'm stubborn, but I know he'll win in the end. Getting up from the bed and stomping all the way to the bathroom, I abruptly open the cabinet above the sink and take the knife. Making my way back to him, I try not to be resentful. I shove the knife into his hand and he winces but I'm slightly angry and ignore it.

"Thank you. You now have the day off."

"What's the point?" I scoff as he closes the door.

I lock myself in and pretend to be sick. It's not hard; every time I hear someone near the door, I cough wildly. It keeps everyone at bay and as far away from me as possible. Eventually, they all give up. I fall asleep, tormented by the argument between Lartius and I, something I can't take back. He's being friendly when he shouldn't. I like him, but I have to stop this too. I have to win because I made a promise.

I know I'm dreaming because the colors are drained and dull. What I remember to be a bright yellow is now a dead canary. Hues and shades of colors fall flat, no longer looking vibrant and splendid.

_I lift my head to find I'm in bed. There's a soft knock on the door. Lartius._

_He keeps on knocking, louder and louder as the time passes without me opening the door. Why is he so persistent? Can't he just leave me alone?_

"Where's the key? Found it!" _Next moment, I hear the lock rattle. Hiding my shock completely, I turn around and close my eyes. I'm not covering half my back but there's no time. I have to pretend to be asleep. Eyes still closed, I settle my breathing down and stay still. Twitching ever so slightly and scratching my neck to make it more real, I wait for Lartius to do something. I hear his footsteps come closer. I shiver when his hand traces the line of my spine. He gasps and draws away, but not too far. I mumble indistinctly and curl up. Now my hips and thighs are exposed. Ignoring the cool breeze circulating the room, I stay curled up. He comes close again._

"I remember seeing your name in the sign-up sheet for the school for Career training back in the district and admiring you for your nerve. Then I got jealous. Your confidence was too much for me to handle. I've always admired you, especially because of how you struggled to overcome your sister's death. I remember you climbing the simulation tree and not stopping even when your hands were raw and bleeding from all your previous attempts. You were so strong. You still are. And I watched you a lot after that. To see if I could pick up your strength, your courage. I'm a weakling, and seeing you break down and cry recently was something strange and difficult. Somehow, I was in pain too. And I want you to know that from the moment I saw your strength and your pain and everything that was you, I have always admired you and wanted to learn so much from you. I failed many times to talk to you and ask you to be friends. I know it's too late for that. Just know that I am trying. And I really would have loved to have gotten to know you better. I really would. But there's no 'if's. I'm sorry again. For not being there for you. You are my friend. I want you to know that. I know that. I care. I wouldn't mind giving my life for you. Without a second thought."

"Lartius," _I blur out. After this speech, I am simply startled. _My mind_ invented _this_._ "Lartius." _I whisper it the second time. My eyes are still closed. The shift of his body indicated that he's waiting to see whether I'm awake or not. I remember I'm 'sleeping', therefore I roll over, finally showing him my face. My entire body's finally under the covers, and the cool breeze no longer causes goose bumps to pepper my exposed skin. I curl up again and bury my face in the sheets. A single tear manages to escape past my closed eyelids. It's enough to bring on the rest. I begin to squirm, imagining how I might act if I were having a nightmare. Sobbing and twitching, strangled cries and Lartius' name leave my mouth. Lartius' speech has broken a few strands of sanity in me. The only person who cares about me and I have been pushing him away all along. We can no longer justify all our actions, and the consequences have placed him in a very horrible position. Both of us. I notice arms wrapping around me and doing their best to soothe me. He must think I'm having a nightmare, and I'm hurting._

Half of it is true.

I know.

It has to stop. He has to leave. It won't work out anyways. One of us has to die.

I know.

This is wrong, but it feels too good.

I know.

This dream is so real. And it's perfect.

"Hey. If you can hear me, in any way or any form, I'm here for you and I'm here to help you fight the nightmares. Help me fight your nightmares. We can do this together. Together." _This response only brings more tears and I squirm harder, struggling to break from his warm, strong grip. He places me in the bed again and wraps the sheets around me. Nuzzling his hand as he places it on my hair, I finally and truly fall asleep._


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Second chapter! Yay! I'm moving faster. There's going to be yet another chapter after this one. Yay! ****Please don't forget to review. You get a free virtual cookie of you do! ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

11 - Our Interview Night And After

My prep team finds me curled up in a fetal position on the floor. I wonder how I got here. Skene walks in, surprised. My dream. I'm reminiscing in it. I feel a pair of arms tugging at me softly. "Rhymer." Skene croons softly. "Rhymer."

I pull myself awake. "Hmm?"

"Are you alright? You were on the floor." He sounds worried. His creased forehead tells me he's also confused.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just a little cold."

"You should sleep more. But on your bed. That's why it's here. For you to use." He tries to joke. I give him a weak smile as he guides me to bed. My eyes graze the door and I blush when I notice its open and Lartius is peaking in to see what the commotion's about. "You'll meet Pliny later. Rest, alright." Pliny wraps the sheets around me and closes the door.

The next time I open my eyes, it is close to one in the afternoon. Pliny is going to kill me for being late! I leap out of bed and get dress quickly. I fly out of the room and crash into Skene while running down the stairs. He helps me up and then takes me to Pliny.

"Rhymer Lockhearst." Pliny looks like he's about to explode. 'I'm sorry' is too weak.

"I'm sorry." Damn me. Oh, to hell with it. I won't die. At least, not yet.

"She had my permission to be late." Damn Skene too.

The prep team rushes to my aid and quickly starts to work on me. Skene is told to leave. I'm lead back to my room. The team works really hard. My hair is in a bun that has some lose hairs in curls, framing my face. The only makeup I'm aware of is eyeliner, dark blue, marking my eyes. My skin has streaks of yellow running everywhere. Wonder what Pliny's up to with this. By the time I'm ready to wear my dress, it's only three thirty. Only. The dress is dark and strapless. It has lines, or rather cracks, of white all around it. It's a little above the knee, but it doesn't hug my body, which I'm grateful for. I realize the black is actually blue. Dark royal or midnight. The color fascinates me. I have three inch high heels in a shocking yellow. Then I put everything together. Lightning. Yes. That was our success. So it'll be that again.

"We are done. Don't be late next time." Pliny's tone is low, but slightly threatening. _There won't be a next time._ He's so close, I fear he'll hear my thoughts. But of course he doesn't. He doesn't.

"How long do I have to be with this?"

"An hour. We do the interviews early now. Remember?" Pliny's look marks me as lunatic. Lunatic. _If I'm that, then what is he?_ A man beautifying me for death. _What is he?_

"Good then. Take me down already. I have to be with the Careers." Lartius walks in as I finish my sentence. A small frown slips across his face before he can hide it. He looks at me up and down as he comes closer. He smiles shyly and then scratches the nape of his neck.

"You're making things difficult." He whispers jokingly. _What? Now he wants to talk again?_ I try to brush him off and end up leaning back and laughing out loud. I look at him. He's in a dark blue shirt, a smoky-yellow bowtie, and black pants. His shoes are black too. I still don't want to talk to him, not after him being so rude.

Winnow pushes us to an elevator "Bye Skene! See you on screen!" I wink. Skene winks back.

The whole ride down is awkward and I see Lartius opening and closing his mouth out of the corner of my eye several times. The elevator doors open and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Rhymer! Get over here. I need to have a good look at you." Grandis' words make me blush. But he looks cute himself. Light red shirt, open light cream blazer and same colored pants. His hair's a mess. It makes him look better. But I consider him a brother. And he considers me a sister. He mocks me on purpose. Who likes him is Daniela. Rulapia waves me over.

"Grandis! I'll be over!" I shout back. I nod Lartius away, looking hostile. This is wrong. I shouldn't be like this. How did I turn into this? I walk to the Careers. Daniela's dress is so short, it scares me. Light green, slightly see-through. Her eyes are dark green. I've never taken her eyes seriously. I deemed them blue. Her dress brings out her eyes. Her hair is in curls, and its auburn like Skene's. I gasp and keep on staring at her. It seems to unnerve her.

"What? What are you looking at?" She's annoyed.

"You look beautiful." I usher. I'm so surprised. Her sneer usually dominates her face. But without it, she has innocent facial features. I don't wait for her response. I look at Valeria and Rulapia. Both are in dresses. Valeria's is aqua blue, below the knees, but when she moves, it moves like the ocean. Fascinating. Her hair is loose with a couple of strategically placed clips in some parts. Rulapia's is light purple, but it's more like an evening gown than a dress. Her hair's in a bun, like mine. But no loose strands. And it's to the side. Septimus has light clothes on. He matches with Daniela. His shirt, his pants, his blazer, they're all white, the only green thing he has on is a tie. Gunnar's entirely in dark blue. Except for his tie, it's black. A Capitol person sticks his head into the room.

"Silence!" He waits. Once we quiet down, he continues talking. "Line up in order of you district number. Girls before boys. I want a single line. No more talking. Someone else other than me will lead you all out." He leaves. Small whispers erupt. Being closes to Gunnar, I have to talk to him. I can't talk to Lartius.

"What's your angle, Gunnar?" _Why so nosy, Rhymer?_ I was curious when I was small. I still am. It's not an excuse. _Oh, well._

At first, he doesn't answer. He only shrugs. Then he answers. "Shy."

I crack up a bit. "Oh, really? You, shy? Ha! Really? Stop it, Gunnar." He smiles too. We both know he's not shy. He would talk nonstop during training.

"Yes, shy. I've gotten good. Watch. Ask me a question."

"Do you have someone back home that you'll like to say hello to right now?"

He squeaks out an answer. "Well, I don't know. Yes. A little."

"That was evasive! That's not shy." My tongue is out.

He chuckles. "Alright. Evasive then." Valeria chuckles too.

"What about Val's angle?"

"Well, what about it?" Valeria says.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Tell me yours first." She's a child!

"Funny. Yours?"

"Mine really is shy. I don't like talking much." She smiles. Her dimples are deep. She's adorable.

A man walks around the corner and we shush almost immediately. He doesn't talk. Only motions with his hands. Then I realize. He's an Avox. We follow silently. Bright lights stun my eyes. Spotlights everywhere. I didn't worry about this before. Oh, Ashby, how could you stand this? Stage fright makes it harder for me to breathe. _I'm going to pass out!_ When my parents and I saw Ashby's interview, she looked so comfortable. I'm slightly beyond panic mode. Lartius seems to notice my change. He shows me the small amount of affection that he can. He squeezes my shoulder and quickly let's go. The presence of his hand still lingers long after he stops touching me. We file onto chairs, forming a semi-circle on the stage. Caesar Flickerman dominates the stage and is the one that always does the interviews. Ashby got along with him. And he adored her. Let's see his reaction to me.

Caesar wears his hair pulled back. His outfit is dark blue with twinkling white. And his lips are orange, as is his hair. It doesn't compliment his skin color.

"Hello Panem!" The crowd roars at his words. "You've seen them being reaped. You've seen them represent their district in the parade. You've seen their training scores. Now it's time to hear our tributes talk, and meet them more than ever before!" He knows how to use words. He has a gift. I smile without knowing that some cameras are focused on me. I catch my face on a screen and I appear at ease. My smile gets wider.

"All the way from District One, a beautiful girl. Put your hands up for Daniela Edenthaw!" Another roar from the crowd, some whistling and cheers follow Daniela to the chair next to Caesar. Daniela's dress shines in the spotlight. She throws a big smile at the crowd and I'm once again shocked by her beauty. I question my sexuality.

"Hello, Caesar." She says with a big smile. She's going for flirty. But her voice is high pitched and totally not hers. The rest of her interview is about her. And only her. Which means she's also going with conceded. Seriously? Her mentor must be worried about sponsors. I wonder why. She had a high training score. And being a Career automatically gets her sponsors.

Caesar moves fast. "Now we welcome her district partner. Also from District One, we have Septimus Dunbryll!" Septimus plays the excited card. He tells the crowd how excited he feels at being picked for the Games. He seems to want to make up for his crying at the reaping. "From District Two, let's welcome Rulapia Ivory to the Capitol." Rulapia goes for cocky. And it works, even when she's wearing her dress. The crowd screams in approval. "And let's hear it for her twin brother, Grandis!" Grandis also goes for cocky, which I figured he'd do from the beginning. But Rulapia was soft, compared to him. He's too cocky, and some of his responses raise many eyebrows from the crowd. But I can tell that the Hunger Games fanatics, the blood lovers, will put their money on him. His arrogance intrigues them. "District Three! Are you ready for District Three? Give it up for Pomeline Vipointe!" Pomeline acts homesick the entire time. The crowd seems unsatisfied after her interview. "Will Martial Spectral change the mood? Give him some affection, folks!" Martial looks scared. His answers are panicked. He's a weakling. That's obvious. Technology must be ashamed. I know I would. "The tributes from District Four. First, let's say hello to Valeria Lapworth." Valeria's shyness and her dimples will surely get her sponsors. She's young, but her stylist manages to give her a provocative side, without her consent. "Now Gunnar Rankine shall join us." Gunnar's angle is talkative, informative. So much for shy! Or evasive. He says many things about himself, but not in a conceded way. Then it's my turn.

"Fast as lightning, give your attention to Rhymer Lockhearst." Caesar cracks a joke, slyly. Ha. Ha. I walk up the stage. When I get close, I shout out.

"Hey, Caesar! I've been waiting to meet you on this stage since I was born." My turn. The crowd gives a small, shy laugh. Caesar chuckles. I sit down, and so does he. Looking closely, I find him to be really friendly. I lose a little of my fright and trust the man a little. I wonder what the crowd back home is thinking. How will my interview affect how they think about me?

"You look a lot like a previous tribute. What was her name? Ashby, right? Her last name was also Lockhearst. Was she your sister?"

I freeze a little. But then think it doesn't really matter anymore. "No. We weren't related. We were actually neighbors." As I say the last words, my hand goes up in a mocking gesture. The people laugh louder, and I smile, inviting them to enjoy the joke. Even some of the other tributes laugh along.

"Hm. Must be a long lost relative then."

"Yes, it must be. She lived across the street. But seriously. She was my sister." I smile sadly. The crowd gives me sympathetic, awkward applause.

"Why did you not volunteer for her?"

Oh, that's a tough one. "Because… I wasn't sure I would like the food." My mouth is smart on its own. The Capitol citizens laugh again.

"What do you think about joining the Careers?"

"I'm not fast, but, I'm able to tell the difference between a knife and a sword. I mean, one's bigger than the other, right? I think they could have chosen someone smarter, though. But for some reason, it was me." My time must be coming to an end.

"Ah, okay. Did you work hard for your training score?"

I wait a little. Then answer. "Why that question? Is it because I'm not a Career? Okay, fine, I'll answer it. Yes, yes, I did work hard! So hard that I almost dropped a weight on my foot during our training days!" Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that. But the crowd loves me. Come on. Give me a break, Gamemakers! The buzzer goes off, indicating my time is up. No more questions. I did it. I finished it. I didn't pass out. I'm proud.

"Thank you Rhymer! Good luck. You'll win if you keep us laughing." We smile at each other and I stand up to go back to the seat next to Lartius. He looks panicked, but gets up nonetheless. It makes me a little sad to know that he didn't like my interview. Or that's what I can assume, just by looking at his face.

"Let's now lift our hard hats off for Lartius Baxwoll!" I chuckle at Caesar's wit. He does tries to make us feel comfortable. It worked with me. I'm one hundred percent sure the same will go for Lartius, in case he really is panicked. "So tell us, Mr. Short Pants, how have you found the Capitol to be like so far?"

"Oh, it's different from home. I found it to be inviting, but different."

"How so?"

"It makes me homesick, sure. But it's also warm, embracing. I can finally say I have enough to eat. Of course, it's not the same as my mom's cooking. But it's delicious anyway. Can I give a shout out?"

What is he doing? I forgot to ask Skene what Lartius' angle was. I mean, sure, I risked being questioned by everyone as to why I wanted to know but I just wanted to. Is this his angle? Modesty? Where's Skene? I scan the crowd as Caesar allows Lartius to give his shout out. I finally find Skene. He appears pleased. So this is his angle, then? Lartius hesitates a little then speaks. "Thank you to the cooking people of the Capitol. What are they called? Chefs? Yes. To them, thanks for the food. It was delicious."

Most of the people in the City Square 'aw' over Lartius' little speech. I find myself scoffing for the cameras, but I'm gushing over him mentally. He turned out to be modest, in his own way. After that, I don't listen to the rest of his interview. Not because I'm bored. But because I realize I like this boy too much. He's loveable. This interview is Lartius being his true self. I smile, and like Skene, look pleased. Afterwards, when I see Lartius sit down next to me, I tune out. Tribute after tribute take the chair next to Caesar. I hear the crowd's reactions, but apart from that, I don't register anything. I don't know what's going on. Although, I occasionally clap when the tributes change. I truly pay attention when the twins from District 8 take the stage. The girl takes the crowd's attention immediately. Althea's dressed like a goddess. Daniela and I, two of the best dressed, pale in comparison. Her dress hugs her so neatly and nicely, it looks to be part of her skin. Like she was born with it. Of course she would find something perfect. Her industry is textiles. She knows fabrics like the back of her hand. Caesar's sweet to her, and she takes it and uses it to her benefit. Caesar's last question seems kind of personal. "Do you have someone back home? That is, someone you're willing to hand your heart over to if you go back?" She only nods. But then she says it's not someone from 'back home'. It's a boy from here. I immediately think Grandis. But then I know who. She likes Lartius. The buzzer goes off before Caesar can ask her who she really likes. The people cry out their frustration. I want to scream that she wants the boy next to me. I control myself and plan out my revenge. The boy, Majoris, is boring, so I tune out again. Not even the tributes from 11 are as interesting anymore.

All of us stand up, for the anthem, and the crowd claps. We leave and now it's time to wait. The show will be televised at night. Around eight or nine. Skene and Fannia meet us in the room where we first lined up and quickly take us to an elevator. We go to the fifth floor. Lartius and I retreat to our rooms, change to something less fancy and more comfortable. We go back to the dining room. Who's not starving? I know I am. He smiles at me and I smile back. Skene calls us to sit down and eat before we can talk. But Skene being Skene, he does a little speech before we eat.

"I'm proud of both of you. This part's basically over. Tomorrow, at dawn, you'll be awakened and transported into the arena. But before you go anywhere, you'll be dressed by your stylists in the tribute's outfit. It saddens me to tell you this will be the last time you see me or Fannia. This is the final from us. Unless one of you is victor -" he looks at me when he says this "-then you'll never see us again. So goodbye for now, I guess."

Lartius and I both run up to him and hug him. He kisses my cheek. He claps Lartius in the shoulder. Then we stand awkwardly looking at Fannia. The tension breaks when she walks up to us and hugs us both. She quickly lets go. Winnow also comes up to us to say her goodbyes. We get teary and sad, forgetting momentarily about our hunger.

"You've been one of the best tributes I've ever represented. I hope one of you wins! Even though I'm not supposed to support neither of you, I wish you the best. I want to see one of you again when the Games are over!" We all get into a group hug, and cry for a while. Skene looks at his watch and I think he'll ruin the mood and say something stupid.

"It's late. We have to eat." Wait, no. It's not stupid, as I'd though. We all run to the table and begin to pile food onto our plates. We only talk and try to enjoy the last hours of our lives; we'll, Lartius and I.

"Nice interview. You'll get the best sponsors." Humble as always, Lartius will never change.

I don't tell him anything. Skene looks over at me, concerned. "You'll get sponsors, Rhymer. And you should talk to him. He's being friendly." I shake my head and force myself to eat by swallowing harshly.

"Oh, we will." Lartius' so optimistic. Ah! I have so many feelings for him. "And don't worry. It's my fault, Skene. She has every right to not want to talk to me."

After I eat, I make my way to my room and I don't interact with anyone until I hear Skene yelling for me to come down.

"Interview recaps night!" Skene shouts from the living room. The television is on already. Winnow always has the foresight to turn it on beforehand. We all sit down, Fannia next to me.

"Can you believe these tributes?" Claudius is so enthusiastic, I find myself leaning forward; I'm on the edge of my seat.

"Claudius, these tributes came here to stay." Caesar replies. "But enough with the chatter! Let's turn our attention to the screen." He pauses a little before continuing. "These are the interviews."

The most 'iconic' moments of each interview are shown. I know this isn't the live version, but this is what the districts are shown. I remember seen a few words of exchange between Caesar and Ashby, but not the whole thing. It saves time, and if someone from the districts wants to sponsor, they see the people with potential much better, without all the trouble of the 'boring' parts of their interview. After it's done, Caesar tells us goodbye.

With that, the television is turned off. Well, Winnow turns is off. I have to admit that despite all my hard work, I was extremely anxious and nervous about making it into the Career group and to get a good chance to survive the Games. Sponsors, I'll surely get. But now it's up to me to take advantage of it. To win the Games and making it out alive is up to me. Skene walks up to me and claps me in the shoulder before fully embracing me. I return his embrace strongly. After Skene comes Winnow. Even through all the differences that make us practically two species, she expresses her good luck wishes to me and rubs my back affectionately. Fannia only shakes my hand and nods slowly. _I'll take it!_

I don't know what to do afterwards. I run and slam the door shut. I bolt the lock and grab the chair near the window. If Lartius finds a way to sneak in, he won't be able to make it inside. The chair stops him. Same as always, I want to be alone.

_I'm going to die soon._

_What do I do?_

_Hide behind the Careers._

_I'm supposed to kill them._

_You know you won't be able to._

_I know. Skene was right when he told me not to befriend them._

_This is too complicated._

_I know._

_I'm going to die soon._

Lartius knocks on the door and tries to turn the knob when I don't give him a response. It must be frustrating. He keeps trying to get to me. I have to push him away tonight, more than ever. I should have always pushed him away. There's no use in making friendship. We never had that option anyways. This is a death game. You don't live out of generosity. Well, sponsors. But that's different. They're not in the arena. After a while, the door is silent. I figure he has finally had the right mind to give up when he screams through the door.

"Rhymer! Rhymer! Please! Open up, I'm begging. Please!" I realize that Lartius is not only yelling; he's crying. Skene's voice also makes it to me.

"Lartius. Come on. Let her be alone. She wants time to herself. Come on. She's tough, you know it. Leave her alone. Come on."

"No! Open up, Rhymer, please!" His crying intensifies. This only makes me cry. I don't want to be a reason to make him suffer. I never wanted him to care so much that my slight upsetting and he would reduce himself to tears. I want him to care, but I also _don't want him to_. I'm torn between letting him in or keeping him out, therefore I do nothing. I only freeze and hear him scream and cry, and it feels like forever. Time stops, and I can't breathe, I see stars, I'm suffocating – as if someone or something has taken a pillow and put it over my nose, my mouth – and everything begins to fade until my entire vision is black. I do my best to relax and not let his screams confuse me. _Not even my mother's screams make me like this._ Touching the chain around my neck and feeling around for the ring, I begin to calm down. I make it to my bed before collapsing completely and squeezing my eyes shut. I cover my ears with my hands and curl up. I can't move anymore. Suddenly, I hear Lartius begin to pound the door again. I also hear more screams, but I realize they're mine and I guess that's enough motivation for Lartius to want to knock the door down. I feel my own hands turning against me now, and without my consent, they begin to rip my hair out, and scratch my face and I hit the pillow, as if asking for an answer from it. I've lost control. And I'm bleeding; I can feel the hotness of the blood – my blood – all over my face and in my hands. When I open my eyes, I'm in shock. The chair begins to move and the door opens a tiny bit; enough for Lartius to look into my room. His eyes open wide.

"No." I croak.

I pass out. I put it all together because I wake up in bed. The chair I'd used to stop anyone from entering my room is upside down, on the floor. Lartius is leaning against the doorframe, watchful. From what, I don't know. It takes me a couple of seconds to remember where I am; the Capitol. The Games will starts in who knows how long and then I will die and goodbye world. I look up at the clock. Ten minutes before eight and I'm still awake. I need sleep! If I close my eyes in the arena, I could die. Even if I'm with the Careers. _Especially_ if I'm teamed up with the Careers.

"Rhymer!" Lartius rushes to my side. He reaches for me tentatively. I look away then. I promised in the train I'll be friendly. If this my definition of friendly, I do not want to know what my definition of enemy is. He turns my face to look at him. "Why?" he demands. I smell a strong medicine on his hands and feel my face. Not so much as a scar.

I can't answer. I guess I'll never have the words to answer that question. I shrug push his hand away but keep looking at him. His soft eyes study me carefully. I stare into them with as much intensity as I can._ He can't be your friend. He can't be your anything.__ One of you will die soon. It will never work._

We don't speak the rest of the night. We both fall asleep at around nine. Lartius gets the chair from the floor and settles himself down mere inches from the bed. I don't remember seeing Skene or Fannia or anyone else for the rest of the night. I wake up at three because I need the bathroom. I struggle like a five year old to get up and once I do, everything aches. I won't last five minutes in the arena because I'm dying _right now_. Lartius does the favor of waking up and taking me to the bathroom. He stays outside. I feel like a child. I depend on someone. _How will I survive the Games?_ I'm terrified. I won't be able to win or fight for my survival if I'm still like this when I get into the arena. As much as I try, I just can't go back to sleep.

At around eight in the morning, Skene knocks and I'm able to finally walk on my own and open the door. I somehow manage to kick Lartius out without much as a look. It's Skene who does it, really. I tell Skene with my eyes that I'm not talking to him and before Lartius can turn my way, Skene is shoving him out the door. He then takes something away from Lartius, something I can't see, and the prep team comes in. It takes them exactly one hour to get me ready. By then, all the scars from my face are truly gone.

I know Skene will not be with me in the end. Before Pliny and I take off, I run up to Skene and sob silently and softly for some seconds in his arms.

"See you soon. You'll come out, okay?" Skene whispers into my hair. I freeze a little and then pull away. I try a smile. I know it's forced and Skene's eyes tell me so, but he pulls it off.

"Now, Rhymer!" Pliny is harsh.

"Don't be so happy to be with me in the hours before my death, Pliny." I try sarcasm. It's monotone, but Skene laughs behind me.

"You still have it, Rhymer!" My last look of Skene is a smiling mentor that's winking at me.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: And the final chapter for today! I'm so surprised over the views and visitors yet again! I'm squealing ^_^. You all deserve virtual cookies made by none other than Peeta :). I don't think I need to say anything else except that you enjoy this chapter. ********Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

12 - The Countdown

I hate the Capitol citizens for sleeping in and making me wake up at eight in the morning for their stupid Games. I know I'm mad. That's pretty clear.

"Snap out!" Pliny was never patient.

"Enough! Leave me alone. You'll be happy once I die, right? Leave me alone!" I hope this is okay. At least that shuts him up.

Pliny and I are taken to a balcony. A Peacekeeper motions with his hand for us to come in and keep walking forward. We board an airplane like craft. _What are they called?_ Hovercraft. Right. We get on and soon depart. I'm provided with food and I stuff everything down. I should get something decent before I die. After what I feel is an hour and a half, we arrive at the arena. I'll be taken to a special room that will be used only once and only by me. Then it'll be turned into a resort for the people of the Capitol to come visit. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do. We get off the hover and get into my room. The infamous catacomb, as we from the districts know it. Once inside, Pliny leads me to the corner and nods tersely. I walk up to him and look at his hands. A black bag with the tribute's outfit. This is it. A small amount of luxury comes down to this. A black bag that has an outfit that could be covered in blood in less than a day. An outfit that will hold my last breath. Or become my ticket to the way back home. He opens the bag carefully. He pulls out a light yellow no-sleeves shirt. Black leggings and plain black sneakers.

"Will everyone be wearing the same thing?" I manage to speak. I shouldn't because I usually lose my voice when I'm nervous. But this time, I know it's different.

"Yes, except the tank top." Pliny's reply is short and to the point.

After that, we don't speak anymore. I ignore him and vice versa. It must be around ten in the morning and the Games don't start until around half past because the Capitol people are lazy and wake up late. Pliny and I just sit around that last half hour. During that time, I go over everything I've learned in my reclusive time in the Capitol. My strategies are on my mind the first ten minutes. But the last fifteen or so are dedicated entirely to Lartius. I managed to memorize everything about him. His soft brown eyes, softer and warmer, successfully consuming and overpowering my own.

A computerized voice tells me that I've got five minutes to get into the tribute tube that will soon be taking me up to the arena. I'm not shaking. I know that. But I've lost circulation on my hands and although the room's not cold anymore, it seems my entire body's lost heat. I move my hands a lot to regain blood circulation. Pliny gets up and walks me to the tube. I expect him to stay silent on these last minutes with me. He doesn't.

"Skene sends this. It's a bracelet. He said something about it being your tribute token. It took the panel five seconds to realize it was just a bracelet, so here you go." He manages to finish it all with a soft-like smile. I smile back. If only I'd ever gotten along with him, it would've gone better. There's no 'ifs' anymore. It's time.

"Thank you, okay? And tell Skene the same thing. And Fannia." I smile too. Before I go inside, he hugs me and whispers in my ear.

"You'll tell Skene yourself. I won't do you any favors." Before my response, I get a soft but firm push from Pliny and I'm in the tube.

There's no noise and I really look at Pliny for the first time in my life. A man in his thirties, most likely. Short hair that has highlights in red, blue, and yellow and spiked at the front. Pointy ears that I know aren't natural but he looks good with them. Brown, soft eyes that are noticeable because of the bright, white eyeliner. And light skin with silver patterns in his exposed arms and cheeks. Not tall, but not short, exactly. He looks at me with pride as the computer counts down.

Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One…

The countdown over, my plate begins to move, lifting me up slowly. I see Pliny one last time and then turn my attention to something that's been demanding it for a long time. The Games are right here, right now. There's not turning point. Ever. _Who's laughing now, Lockhearst?_

Same as always, I look around. I'm rising towards the pedestal. The Cornucopia sits on a little hill. Trees. A soft breeze. Not pines, but small trees all over the place. This reminds me of a park or... _The arena's a park._ The plate clicks and I'm all the way up. I'm on the pedestal.

Claudius Templesmith's voice booms over us. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy Second Hunger Games begin!"

One minute. Everybody knows it. Step off and you die instantaneously. Underground bombs. Around all our pedestals. These sixty seconds give me a chance to fully see my surroundings. I notice Grandis to my left and the kid from District Three, Martial, to my right. On seeing me, Grandis nods a little and I smile at him. Three kids down from Grandis, I see Valeria and Septimus right next to each other. After Martial, I count six and see Rulapia, and all the way down to the right is Daniela. It's all the way on the left, the last tribute to the left, Grandis' side, that I see Gunnar. And next to Gunnar is Lartius and next to Lartius is... Althea. _Is the Capitol serious? Maybe not. Who cares? _Then the countdown to the actual Games begins again.

Twenty seconds. All Careers appear ready. We are all sort of leaning forward on the pedestal, arms at our sides while everyone else is standing there, looking terrified. Except maybe Lartius' gang. The clock shows seconds left.

_10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1_

The gong goes off and I jump off the pedestal. As soon as I land, I bolt off. My arms propel me forward. I look to the sides as I run. The only people that are at my pace are my allies. Grandis is slightly ahead of all of us, but he's Grandis. We're all running uphill. I come across a ton of knives next to axes at the mouth of the Cornucopia. I scoop them up while still running. I look around again. Grandis is by the swords and shields, quickly making a pick for balance and sturdiness. The girls are still a little behind but Septimus and Gunnar are there, taking weapons. Daniela takes a hold of more knives. I wasn't going to take everything and leave her with nothing. As Valeria and Rulapia arrive, the ones with weapons already run to meet the oncoming tributes. I see funny reactions. The girl from 7 is only half way to the Cornucopia. I laugh and wait for her to catching on that she's in a death game. She does but it's too late. My knife sinks on her chest, quickly followed by two more. _Bye, Pleione._ Then I turn to meet the little boy from District 6. He tries to run away. I let him get to the pedestals again and shoot two knives. Both around his lungs. He'll die in some minutes; drowned with his own blood. It'll be slow and painful. I don't worry much.

I run to the Cornucopia to see how the others are doing. I get a nod from Grandis and as I turn around to hunt for more tributes, I hear him shout something to Septimus, Gunnar, and Valeria about supplies. I see Ovid running towards a backpack. Not under my watch; that's not happening. I chuck a knife at the ground and he's so into the backpack he doesn't notice it and trips. _That was easy._ I run to him and flatten him on to the ground. He throws me off. I land next to a pedestal and hit my head with the metal, bursting my skin. It throbs, and I feel the blood, but I get up and tackle him again. He still struggles and throws me off one more time. He runs towards the backpack and he gets distracted by immediately opening it. I tackle him one last time. As soon as he's onto his back again, I don't hesitate. I stab him in three times. Each time, I pull my arm back far. On the fourth stab, I see he's stopped breathing. I get up slowly and quickly clean the knife using my leggings. I run back to my allies, halfway to the Cornucopia. Grandis is laughing, and I see him throw something at me. A knife jacket. As I examine my new property, I freeze. Someone's watching me. I turn to the trees. Lartius with his allies. I notice the twins from 8 have something. Spears. What happened?

"Rhymer!" A cry makes me run to the mouth of the Cornucopia. That was Rulapia.

"How many did you kill?" Grandis.

"Three." I smile. Grandis smiles back. He puts his elbow up and I tap it with my own.

"Same here!" Grandis' laughing, but it seems forced.

"Something wrong? What happened?"

"Septimus and Gunnar allowed the kids from Eight to get weapons. Grandis is mad." Daniela sneers.

"What!? How?" I can't hide the shock. "Well, did anyone else manage to kill any others?"

"We got distracted, which is why Daniela and I killed no one. And we both got cuts from the same tributes. I did see Valeria kill someone, though." Rulapia is sad, but she seems to praise Valeria at the end. We all stand silent for a while. I look at Valeria. She has a gash on her cheek, but otherwise seems alright. She looks smug. Gunnar and Septimus look down at the spears in their laps and they don't speak at all. They appear ashamed. Grandis looks down at them with a sneer, as does Daniela.

"How do Career tributes allow this to happen? I thought you'd been trained enough." I sound exasperated.

"There's nothing you can do about it!" Daniela snaps back. "Not anymore."

"Yes we can! Hunt them down. We have to get them back!" That makes Valeria come up to me and nod.

"I killed the kids from District Twelve. Both. I want to kill both from Eight too. Help me out. We can do this." Valeria's determination puts Gunnar and Septimus in a compromised position. "Please."

"Okay." Grandis and I say at the same time.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: So so sorry for the long wait (not!). I forgot to upload yesterday (kill me, or not) and I realized it when I was in bed. I almost smack myself. I know nobody was actually anxious to get this chapter, but here I am. Same as last time, I'll upload several chapters, so keep up with me here :). ************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

13 - The Cannons Go Off and We Form a Plan

"We have to form a plan and protect our supplies. Does anyone have any ideas as to what we can do?" Grandis looks around at all of us. He leans on the very mouth of the Cornucopia, as if to expect an answer. Everyone stays silent the first minutes. In those few minutes of silence, the first cannons start to go off. I count eight. I wonder which faces we'll see tonight, besides the ones I already know we killed.

"I have an idea, if I may suggest anything." I blur out after the uncomfortable silence resumes after the cannons. Daniela snaps me a look. She must really not like me or something. I don't look. I lock eyes with Grandis and wait for his approval.

He crosses his arms, looks down at me expectantly and nods. "Let's hear it."

"What if we wire the Cornucopia in a way that only we know how to enter and the ones who don't will get electrocuted? Or we could make a rig-like trap that only we know how to avoid and the others who trigger it get many weapons thrown at them. I think we could use the axes and spare knives for it." I speak a bit fast and Valeria and Rulapia look a little confused. Grandis just nods. Septimus and Gunnar still look down. Daniela looks at the pedestals in case we get a surprise attack but I know she's listening.

"Let's just use the axes and spears. Not the knives." Daniela responds. This is why I know she's listening. I agree.

"How do we get the wire for the electrocution?" Grandis asks. He seems to like the first idea better. I grin. I walk to the backpack I saved from Ovid and open it. I remember seeing some wires when he opened it. Sure enough, there are tons of yards of wire. All rolled up in a nice little bundle. I hold it up for Grandis and everyone else to see. I smile wide as does everyone else; even Daniela cracks a little smile. All I need is a generator now.

"Skene! Send a generator!" I yell at the sky. I wait for a parachute. The rest of my allies also turn to the sky. I look down to make sure no surprise attacks happen.

"Rhymer! The parachute!" exclaims Grandis. I snap a quick look at the sky. Sure enough, a parachute's quickly descending. I open my hands and wait for it to land.

"Someone keep look out; I don't want attacks." I mutter, starting to open the parachute. I find a small square and a note. 'This square is a generator. You plug in at the sides. Flip the small switch at the left side to get electricity. It'll never run out of power. Good luck.' I inspect the square. Sure enough, it's got holes on the side and a small switch next to the hole on the left. I turn the switch on. The square hums and vibrates in my hand. I'm shocked by the intensity but soon get to work. Once I set all the traps, I make all of my allies get out of the Cornucopia and tell someone to keep watch once again. I pick out a fruit from one of the backpacks and get back out. "Observe." I tell my allies. I throw the peach at the trap and a zapping sound reaches us. I grin. I look for the peach and find it on the ground, all burned up, and at my feet. "I think I set a pretty good trap!" My allies grin at me and we all run back into the Cornucopia. I've placed the switch right at the mouth, so I turn the generator off before letting them in. "It's like when you enter your room and turn the light on and off. Our room's the Cornucopia!"

My allies laugh and we all assemble our supplies. I notice Daniela's opening up to me and I feel great. I guess she just needed to see me in action. We pick our best weapons and some food in case we can't return to the Cornucopia at night. I turn the electrical field on as we leave and throw another fruit at it to make sure it still works. It does. All of us, especially Grandis, start running to begin our tribute hunt. We keep Valeria, the youngest, at the center in case of an attack. As we run, we laugh and joke around to not run around bored. Rulapia starts.

"The face of the first tribute Rhymer killed must have been funny. Did they expect your attack?" I grin at the question. I turn to Rulapia in order to answer.

"Her mouth formed a perfect 'o' before I threw the knives. She wasn't even running! It was too easy. The way she crumbled after I threw the knives was very dramatic. But it's one down, one less to go." Our shouting and taunting must be loud and a dead giveaway to our position, but I guess it also warns the other tributes we're coming. It's turning dark and the monsters are coming out to hunt. The monsters are hunting.

The day comes to an end and we encounter no one. We're all considering returning to the Cornucopia to settle down for the night when the anthem comes across the arena and I know we'll all see the faces of the tributes that died earlier. We all sit down to see the people in the sky.

The first to appear is Pomeline, the girl from District 3, which must have been killed by Grandis. Then it's the boy from District 6 which I killed with two knives. Then Pleione, which was the first tribute I killed. Both tributes from District 9, the boy followed quickly by the girl. I look at Grandis and he's grinning. Of course; it had to be an entire district. Ovid, who actually fought for his life but lost it to me. Then it's both kids from 12, again the boy is first. Valeria smiles as she looks up. Then it's over.

That's the anthem of Panem. Us dying. Our cries, our moans, our screams and our blood. That's the anthem of our nation. It's horrible to watch and worst to be in it.

_How do these people sleep at night?_

"Come on, we can't stay here. I suggest we go back to the Cornucopia. The anthem's over. Let's go!" Grandis gets up and we all follow him. We couldn't hunt tonight. We'll be able to tomorrow.

"We need to kill more." Septimus tells Gunnar.

"Don't be stupid, do you think I don't know that?" Gunnar and Daniela say at the same time.

"Stop being so rash, Daniela, I'm just saying. And I was talking to Gunnar." We all hear Septimus, but again, it's Daniela who decides to keep that conversation going.

"Oh, right, because you killed someone, Septimus. And we didn't lose weapons to them." Daniela's sarcasm makes Valeria and I snicker. Gunnar blushes and lets his head hang. Rulapia joins in on our snickering.

"Enough." Grandis hisses before Septimus can retort. "Enough." He also tells me and the other two to stop laughing. We claps our hands to our mouth and try to calm down. I sneak a side look to Grandis. He's smiling too.

We begin to move. What stops us is another boom of the cannon.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Was the last chapter good? I hope you like this one too :). ****************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

14 - Careers Are Hunters, Not Prey

Valeria screams. She waits for one of us to fall to our knees or to drop to the ground, dead. When no one looks hurt or injured in any way, she relaxes.

"What was that!?" Rulapia shows a different kind of scared.

"Hmm, I don't know, Rulapia, maybe someone got the canon as a weapon from the Cornucopia. Too bad it wasn't you." Daniela's retort throws everyone off. _What's wrong with you?_

"Hey, calm down Danny. Don't talk to my sister like that." Grandis snaps back.

What brings us to our senses is the sudden rustling of leaves nearby and we all immediately form a circle around Valeria. I feel her shake behind me; she's grown fond of me. One arm wraps protectively around her, the other quickly grabs some knives from my jacket. All of us are alert, each facing a different direction. The leaves in front of me rustle again and without hesitation, I chuck two knives at the noise. I hear a small grunt and I smile. Daniela turns at the sound of the grunt and I run over to the bushes. I see a sneaker and then I see the boy from District 3, Martial, lying on the ground. He's still breathing, but he's struggling. I see were my knifes landed; right to the heart. I have killer aim. It terrifies me, but I know it'll keep me alive.

"I got him. It was the kid from Technology!" I shout at my allies.

"We better move. We're not the only ones hunting tonight." Grandis says after seeing Martial on the ground. "Come on now, back to the Cornucopia." Just then, Martial's cannon goes off.

We all run back to the Cornucopia and settle down. Grandis hunts in the supplies to see what he can begin to distribute. We all get a small backpack. Mine's black. Grandis gives out fruit packs and crackers. A small water bottle that must be less than a pint. Some matches, and some yards of rope. A sleeping bag. A small pocket knife and one yard of wire. And a small but intense flashlight.

"Are there more weapons?" Valeria asks. She looks around but she sees nothing she likes. She sits down, disappointed.

Grandis' response was a lazy nod. Now he sit at the mouth of the Cornucopia and calls Gunnar with him. "We'll keep first watch. Septimus and Daniela will go after us. Then it will be Valeria, Rhymer, and Rulapia. It starts all over again after the three girls. Everyone who's not keeping watch, go to sleep." We all nod back at Grandis and Valeria comes to me. Rulapia doesn't come as close but she's within whispering range. Daniela goes with Septimus.

In the end, we all decide to call hunting off for some days. During that time, Daniela splits herself from the group and only dwells inside the Cornucopia. We keep watch at night, taking turns as necessary. And during the day, the rest of us sit outside the Cornucopia, telling stories from home, our districts, our families. Well, really, just our families and small stories about training. We aren't allowed to talk about our district's industry. We can't feel sympathy inside a death game. We're not even supposed to interact like a family of sorts. But nonetheless, we are. This is dangerous and we must be alert for not only the others inside the arena, but the Gamemakers outside. If the Games aren't exciting enough, the Gamemakers will feel obligated to send something horrible out and things will just get worst. The second night, the only two people who appear on the sky are Martial and Vibia. It's only been two days and there are only fourteen of us left. Then again, our Career group is pretty big.

The next two days, and a night, in which we rest and do nothing, go by without so much as a wind or storm or rain or anything. It's on the third day that it begins to rain. Really hard, cold and alike a tiny hurricane. Only the people from District 4 are familiar with hurricanes; Valeria told us about it. Gunnar nodded along with fear in his eyes. We get out of the Cornucopia, saving as many things as possible, and trying to avoid every hole and ditch in the way. Valeria says hurricanes back in the fishing district cause death and severe damage. I turn the electrical field on and run after my allies. I'm more aware of the fact that the mouth of the Cornucopia has become more dangerous than before because water and electricity aren't exactly best friends. I'm running back to my allies when I notice an abyss I hadn't seen before. But I push it out of my mind. It doesn't present a problem. Yet.

I turn to look back at the Cornucopia as my allies and I stop to get under a tree and form a new plan. I spot Lartius running along with Althea, Majoris, Orchid and Caldwell. Lartius freezes and puts on a face. It's the electrical workers' face. I've seen it a million times with my dad. It's when they strain to hear whether there's electrical discharge nearby with only their ears. They must have been watching us all along.

Grandis' hands begin to form fists and all of us struggle to keep him under control. Gunnar and Septimus take most of his weight, but we girls have him by the arms, except Rulapia. She blocks his path.

"There's no point on trying to get them to stay away from our supplies! There's the trap, and it has become more dangerous because of the water! Valeria, tell him how water and electricity are bad!" I'm shouting over the downpour and Valeria nods a little then begins to explain to Grandis.

He seems to calm down but he gets angry again when Lartius seems to be stopping his allies from entering the Cornucopia because of the electricity. And Grandis does the only thing he was born to do. We've loosened our grip because we thought we'd calmed him down, but now he runs down to the Cornucopia and we have no other choice but to follow him. It's when he tackles Lartius that I run faster. I know I'm not supposed to care, but I do. The grass is slippery but I manage to stay on my feet, although I hear a grunt behind me and assume one of the others has fallen down. I go after the one I've had a problem with right since that first day of training. Althea doesn't see me on time and I take her down with me. She screams and the kids from District 11 are shocked and just stand on the side until Rulapia, Daniela, Septimus and Gunnar appear at theirs. Then it's just Valeria against Majoris. The boy runs away from Valeria, even though Valeria holds no visible weapons.

"Think you can get away?" I snarl at Althea. I have her on her back, hands under my knees, with a knife at her chest; I'm slowly sinking the tip towards her heart. She yells in response and I dig deeper.

"Yes, I do, actually. Now get off!" Althea says through gritted teeth and I struggle to keep her pinned to the ground. She squirms harder and the rain is making it harder to grip her.

"Well, you're wrong!" I scream back and now a second knife finds its way towards her chin. I'm ruthless and I begin to cut her. Slowly at first, dragging the knife across and she does the stupidity to move, making my cut bigger and graver. She screams more and that's when I feel someone pull me off. Lartius is holding me above Althea and I kick him until he drops me. He's clutching his stomach and kneeling down.

"Grandis, where are you!?" I shout to the skies and that's when Althea attacks back. It's when I feel the punch across the face that I know she's back on her feet, ready to go. _I'm not dying. Not here, not now._ She's light and possibly weak from my injury. Her blood is all over the place and dripping in rivers. It lands on the grass, the weapons, and my face. I feel her weak grip on my hands and I take the moment to turn it around. I pull my hands from her grasp, grab both of her wrists and cross them together while putting my feet under her stomach. I throw her off. As soon as I get up, I notice movement towards the abyss; the drop off. I get up and bolt.

Valeria must have noticed the tributes at the edge like I did, because she soon catches up and we're running side by side. "It's the boys; they're in trouble!" Valeria sounds scared and I do my best to reassure her we'll all be fine; until we reach the fights. It's war up there. Grandis is on the floor, clutching his stomach. His right foot and his arms are covered in blood. He must be seriously injured – he would never miss a fight if he weren't. Septimus and Gunnar are now fighting Caldwell and Rulapia is with his district partner, Orchid. Majoris is dealing with Daniela, but I think it's the other way around. I notice something is off. The boys doesn't seem in control of the situation. Any person who's truly paying attention can notice it. Which is why Valeria's worrying is not wrong. As much as they're both helping each other, both are losing. For once, a normal tribute has more potential than… us. More potential than the Careers. Caldwell's spear is an almost perfect match for Septimus' and Gunnar is too scared to use his arrows against Caldwell, in fear that he might get Septimus. That worries the rest of us. I notice a parachute is falling from the sky and quickly point it out to Valeria.

"In the middle of this storm, who in their right mind will send a _metallic_ parachute to a tribute? That's wishing them death!" I yell over the rain. It hasn't stopped, and I have a nasty feeling it won't until someone dies. I notice the parachute is coming straight towards Valeria and I and I turn to give her a look. "I bet it's yours."

"What? No; why would it be mine? I didn't ask for anything."

"Well, for one, you're the only one who doesn't have a weapon and we're in a death game." I smile slyly and she grins and giggles. I open my hands to catch the parachute. The moment my hands wrap around the parachute, thunder rumbles across the sky, and some seconds later, lightning hits our side of the abyss. Valeria screams and hugs me tightly. She's shaking and I almost begin to cry due to memories with Ashby and that one storm that drove us under the bed. Valeria and I open the parachute. The note is hard to read in the rain so Valeria and I run to hide under a tree and she pulls out a flashlight in less than ten seconds. It's small and blue, with intense luminosity.

'Rhymer, this is one of the best medicines provided by the Capitol. Go help Grandis.' I hold a thin bluish tube in my hand, not longer than four inches long and fairly thin. I twist off the cap. A strong smell reaches us and we try our best to plug our noses with our shirts.

"Well, Rhymer, I believe I still don't have a weapon." Valeria is sassy.

Valeria and I run back to the edge and I set to work on Grandis. I force him to take his hands off of his wound. The huge gash on his stomach makes mine uncomfortable, but I move quickly, also checking his arms and foot. His ankle is broken, that much is clear. I hope this medicine also fixes that. Valeria keeps watch as I drag him under a tree. He grunts when I put the medicine on, but quickly exhales out of relief. Septimus, Gunnar and Caldwell are at the edge. I rip my eyes away from Grandis long enough to see they are there. Intense cuts cover both and Rulapia is now punching Majoris as hard as she can. She's not even using her weapons; she's thrown them aside. She seems to be planning to kill him with just her hands. Daniela is now with Orchid and both are just rolling in the grass until I notice Orchid took some of Danny's knives. I consider helping Daniela but then decide against it because I could accidentally hit her. I help Grandis sit and Valeria stays with him. I'm just looking around to see who I can help when I again feel someone tackle me from behind and I find Althea on top of me. Valeria screams and hides with Grandis before Lartius finds them.

"Who's on top now, weakling?" she's taunting me and I remain calm. I don't answer. All I do is search for Lartius. Although I know we're not supposed to show any form of recognition or sympathy towards each other, I see his eyes, and those almost never tell me lies. They are hard and cold; not soft or warm and inviting. Hunting for Valeria. That's when I lose it.

"Not with Valeria!" I manage to wriggle one of my hands free and slap her to throw her off. That's when Valeria screams and I quickly get up and run to her.

"Gunnar! Septimus!" I turn to look for the boys. They're falling. Off the edge, into the abyss. But they're not alone. Both Gunnar and Septimus' last act was to take someone down with them. Gunnar managed to lock his arms around Caldwell's neck. Septimus took him by the chest. The weight of both boys makes Caldwell fall off the edge. I run, even though I know there's nothing else to do. Gunner and Septimus are gone. They won't survive the fall. We can't even see the bottom of the abyss, due to the fog. But it must be pointy rocks. It's impossible to survive. I look down at my hands when I feel the blade of a knife sinking into my skin. I'm clutching the knife in my hand too hard.

"Septimus!" Daniela has finally noticed that her partner is gone.

"Gunnar!" the same happens with Valeria. She leaves Grandis' side and runs to the edge.

As if on cue, the rain stops the moment both girls scream for their partners. Rulapia stops and gets up to go after her injured brother. Majoris quickly gets up before Rulapia goes back to hitting him and runs to his allies. Forgetting I'm injured, I tackle Valeria before she does something stupid and I notice that Althea, Orchid, Majoris and Lartius are retreating back to the trees. Rulapia returns after seeing that her brother is alright, and upon seeing me restrain Valeria, she does the same to Danny.

I get up and pull Valeria away from the edge and walk with her towards Grandis. I talk to her in a soft, soothing voice, hoping to make her feel she's not alone. Rulapia follows us with Daniela. "We're fine. Come." I hear Rulapia say. Valeria's shoulders sag and she drags her feet. She clutches desperately to my hand. "We're okay."

Valeria and Daniela are staring at the ground in shock. That's when the cannons go off.

"He died. I let him die. I promised I wouldn't. And I did. He died." Daniela sits next to Grandis and rocks herself. She curls us and ignores us. Valeria only clutches herself to me. Grandis sees the cut on my hand.

"Put some of my medicine on. It will make you better. Rulapia, help Rhymer."

Rulapia is helping me with my cuts and is coaxing the others to get out of their shock to clean their injuries too. We count the cannons as they sound throughout the arena.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Third chapter for today. And since I wasn't very good yesterday by forgetting to upload, I'll upload an extra chapter (yay! I think?) for you guys. I hope you're all okay with this :). ********************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me. Happy reading!**

15 - Luck Comes Our Way

Three cannons. Daniela, Valeria, Rulapia, Grandis and I stand at the edge of the abyss. Grandis is still clutching his stomach. Another parachute descends and we open it to find bandages. We all cover our injuries.

We're now an alliance of five. Against an alliance of four. Since three more deaths happened near the abyss, we're down to eleven tributes. Us five, four of Lartius' gang and two extras. The other two, I don't really care about. Those, we can easily kill off. It's Althea I'm worried about. I pull Danny and Val away from the edge while Rulapia takes her brother and we take to the spot we hid under, under the tree, before the fighting began. The few things we managed to save from the Cornucopia are scattered, and they look disorganized, as if someone had gone through them. Of course they would. Lartius' gang went through our stuff and took the best. All we have left are some empty backpacks and a single spear. Daniela and I have knives left over, so we hand Valeria the spear. Grandis and Rulapia are officially weaponless.

"Should we check the Cornucopia?" Daniela does her best to keep her voice level.

"Yeah. Maybe we can find something in there. I think all we have to do is take the trap wire down." I know that's impossible. The Cornucopia should be fried. I'm still amazed it hasn't exploded. Or caught fire. The rain should have caused an electrical circuit by now.

"Rhymer! A parachute!" Valeria is looking up at the sky, excited. All of us look up. Sure enough, another parachute is quickly falling down. _Another one!?_ She looks at me, expecting something. Am I the leader now? Because Grandis is injured? That makes all of them my responsibility. _How will I let them die now?_ The parachute lands at our feet. Daniela picks it up. Now she looks at me. So does Rulapia.

"What?" I ask.

"May I open it?" Danny's asking me for permission.

"Well, yeah. You don't have to ask me." I respond, a little shocked.

"Well, you're the leader now. Until Grandis gets better." Valeria tells me. She confirms it. Rulapia nods. Grandis smiles softly before grunting and sitting down on the wet grass.

I look at Val. Danny opens the parachute. It's full of long, thin wooden cylinders. Each has a hole in the center on one side and a screw on the other. There are two different ones though. One has a hole but no screw and the other the opposite.

"It has a note. And it reads 'Assemble the pole'. Who do think it's for?"

"Does it have a mentor's name? Or initials?" I ask them both.

"Yeah. Well, not exactly. It only says 'District Four'." Daniela answers and looks at Valeria expectantly. The rest of us do the same.

She shrugs, then looks away. "How do you build a pole out of cylinders? I have the stupidest mentor ever. I wish I had Rhymer's."

"Oh, trust me, you do not want my mentor." I'm playful. Just then another parachute comes down from the sky. "Is this one for Daniela?"

Danny shakes her head but grabs the parachute and opens it anyways. She reads quickly. "It is! This one says 'Use the gloves.' And it says it's from Gloss, so I know it's for me."

I know Skene is trying to tell me something. He is working with my fellow allies' mentors. So he split up what I'm supposed to do with the others. But I don't know what it is. At least, I think he's trying to send me a message.

"If we want to get anything out of the Cornucopia to see if it's useful, we need to start thinking now. The electrical current is too intense, we need a stick or something." I finish. Then it hits me. The pole. The gloves. _Oh._ I'm about to open my mouth when Danny puts it together.

"I got it!" I smile at her, as does Rulapia and Grandis, and nod. She nods back and spills the wooden cylinders on the grass. I stand guard while the girls set to work. In less than five minutes, we have a six foot long wooden pole that's light and sturdy. I then put the gloves on Danny's hands and explain how she has to insert the pole in order to avoid electrocution as much as she'll be able to with all the gear. She looks tense but I tell her she'll be fine. She nods again and grips the pole tightly.

"Okay. Now!" I say. Daniela carefully begins to work with the pole in order to take the wire down. She works quickly but swiftly. She yelps once and we ask her if she's alright. She only nods and keeps attacking the wire. It takes her around twenty minutes to take it all down because she's being careful. We all yell with joy and we enter the Cornucopia. Even though the wire is out of the way, we're still cautious. A stack of weapons, ones we weren't able to take out before the rain, is still intact. And several backpacks full of food and matches and other small things that would become useful soon. The girls look at me again, expecting instructions.

"Okay, we'll do this." I pause. Daniela nods, mocking me. "We'll take one bag each, but we'll put three of everything in it. Three packs of matches, three jugs of water, and three bags of dried fruit. And everything else. You get it, right? Except the sleeping bags," They both nod. "Those are one for each. Alright, let's do it." There are many weapons to choose from. The ones that are finishing quickly are the knives. I give my jacket and spare knives to Daniela and she looks at me gratefully. Then I take several axes. Those are abundant. And they are alike the knives in weight. And they aren't big or bulky. I take two and several others, which I hide in my backpack.

"Oh, look at this beauty! This is amazing!" Valeria seems to have found something fascinating. Danny, Rulapia and I turn around – Grandis only strains his neck – to find her twirling and thrusting a trident. The trident is long and sturdy. The three points are thin, but I can tell they're sharp. It's a metallic blue trident that reminds me of water.

"Wow, Val that looks amazing." I stammer. "That will be useful for you."

"Oh yes it will. This is... Oh... This is perfect! I think I'm ready to hunt now."

Valeria's enthusiasm spreads out towards all of us. Danny also grabs a bow and two quivers and I grab some maces that catch my eye. Rulapia takes six spears – three for each hand – and Grandis gabs two swords. We're all grinning like fools because of all the weapons and supplies we got out of the Cornucopia. I know it's not much, but I figure it will be enough for now.

"Are you ready to hunt then?" I ask playfully but I'm challenging them at the same time.

"Yes!" Valeria and Daniela both shout out. Grandis grins and Rulapia whops. We all begin to eagerly run and follow the other pack's tracks. Some parts of the arena look undisturbed, others ruffled and flattened.

"I think I know where we'll go." We all grin wickedly and for the first time, I see Valeria's true Career side. All she really need was to get comfortable, to find herself with something from home. The trident, the weapon she found, makes her comfortable and her eagerness to hunt would have seemed bizarre to me before I teamed with the Careers. Now I catch it and we're soon on the trail for Althea and her pack. We will hunt them down.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I guess this chapter's a treat? Partially because I was an assbutt yesterday and forgot to upload. I'll do my best to move this along. I know I keep saying this is a fan fic. It is, I promise. IT's why I'm moving things faster. ********************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me. Enjoy :).**

16 - We Hunt the Enemy Down

We trudge along a muddy path. The rain has made everything slippery and dangerous. Grandis has a hard time walking, because of his injured ankle, but Rulapia is by his side the whole time. Valeria uses her trident as a staff and I use the axes as picks to not fall. Daniela uses a spear Rulapia lends her. After some minutes – or hours – we can't even tell the time here, we stop. We are covered in mud and the humidity levels have increased bizarrely. It feels like a jungle, but we are barely surrounded by trees. Our shirts and leggings are sticking to our skin and we take out our water jugs.

"Is the water cool or warm?" Valeria asks, slightly exhausted.

"De we have a choice?" Danny's sarcasm is somewhat forced. She must be too tired to be sarcastic. That's a first.

"Let's use one bottle at a time. We can't waste it all here." Grandis says.

"You're right." I check my three bottles and feel them. I pick the hottest one and we pass it around. First we drink, then we pour it all over ourselves. When we're done, we resume our tracking of Althea's pack. It's getting dark when we hear movement ahead. And loud voices. They don't seem to care if they're overheard or not. I put my finger to my lips and motion with my hand to follow me.

"If we're being hunted, it doesn't matter. They don't have weapons. We can easily win." That's Althea. Her comment makes me want to burst into their camp and kill them all on my own but I have Grandis to think of. He can't fight much, and I don't want him to die. We find a tree. We begin to escalade it to get a better view. Valeria and Daniela makes it up first. It takes both Rulapia and I to help Grandis climb. Once done, both of us climb quickly. I'm the last to go up.

"Even if they don't have weapons, they're Careers. They will find a way to kill us." A girl's voice I've never heard before floats up to us and I guess its Orchid. I've never heard her speak. I didn't pay attention to her interview.

"Don't be stupid. They can't. As strong and Career as they may be, they need weapons. They have none." Althea again. We peak around our tree and we're about fifteen feet high. They're all sitting down in a circle, with their legs crossed, like some sort of camp. Our missing weapons are stashed neatly behind Althea. The spears, knives, axes and such are in separate piles. They also have a pile of leaves and branches in the middle, ready for a fire. It must be late. I see them all and check how they fared after our encounter. Lartius doesn't show any injuries. The knot in my chest fades slightly. Althea has a huge gash along her jaw line. It seems to have stopped bleeding, but I feel that if she's not careful, it will bleeding again and get infected. I hope it's soon. Majoris' face is more blue and green than skin. Rulapia must have punched him hard, as the bruises are already showing. Orchid had a few lines along her shoulders and her back, but it's not anything major. I hate them for looking so uninjured when Grandis is in pain even when he breathes.

We see Majoris speak and his voice carries over to us. It's a slow drone. "What if they got something out from the Cornucopia?"

"What? No way. Their trap made it impossible to reenter it." Lartius. Being an electrician, he should know. What he doesn't know is that we took the trap down. None of them know. For now, we have the element of surprise.

"I'm with Lartius. He knows this. He's from the electric district!" Althea's arrogance is rewarded with a dirty look from both Lartius and Majoris. From Majoris, I don't know why. But I know why from Lartius. We are proud of our district. And we wouldn't let anyone talk about it like that.

"Power. I'm from the power district, not electric." Lartius relents and scoots away from Althea.

"Oh, come on. It was an insider's joke. Anyways, they couldn't get anything out." Althea quickly changes the subject.

"It was still their trap. And like it or not, it was her that set it up. I'm sure she'll know how to take it down. I mean, she's from your district, Lartius." Majoris' worry doesn't go away. Orchid's slowly nodding in agreement but stops after looking at Althea.

"Her name's Rhymer. And yes, she is from my district. She would know how to disassemble it. She just needs the right tools." When mentioning my name, Lartius softens. I pretend not to notice. I get a sideways look from the girls. _What?_ I shrug.

"I don't care if it was her trap. She didn't take it down!" Althea seems to be angry because I'm constantly being mentioned. "And I don't care about her name." She mumbles afterwards.

They stop their conversation there. They light a fire. It takes them a while but the manage it. Afterwards, Lartius lays down. Althea moves over and lies down with him. Orchid and Majoris sit back-to-back and take the first watch. Lartius waits until Althea falls asleep in order to move away. Once he chooses a spot, he goes to sleep himself. Majoris talks with Orchid for a while. They may be whispering, but we can still hear them.

"I still think Rhymer, or whatever her name is, found a way to get her trap down and her allies are hunting us. Don't you?" Majoris' worrying is not wrong. Orchid nods. Then she remembers she's facing away and responds.

"Yes. She's smart. And her ally is smart too. The only reason I got a knife away from Daniela was because she got distracted with Septimus' fight with Caldwell. She's a good fighter. The one who's not dangerous is the little one."

"Who? The one from District Four?"

We look at Valeria. She shrugs then smiles wickedly while showing us her trident. The points gleam in the firelight.

"Yeah. Her. She doesn't have a weapon. Unless, of course, they got some from the Cornucopia." Orchid shrugs.

They stay silent for a while then one of them speaks again. "I hope my sister has a plan. I don't think she does. She just wants to stay here for a while. She said something about resting." It's Majoris who breaks the silence.

"Well, it doesn't matter. I want to break the alliance but I'm scared your sister will kill me so I'll just wait to see what I can leave." Orchid speaks quickly and all of us look at each other, surprised. Why would she tell Majoris that? He could easily kill her if she falls asleep and she'll surely die there.

They don't speak after that. Since there's a small wind, it rustles the leaves and I'm able to whisper. "We should get down and sleep. We can use our sleeping bags and then we'll kill them tomorrow. If we kill them now, Althea and Lartius will get up because of the noise and they might get away and if we do the opposite, the other two will know we're here. We want them all asleep."

Everyone nods and we get off the tree as quietly as possible. When we're down, we look for a safe spot near the edge of the clearing away from Lartius and his alliance. We take out the sleeping bags from our backpacks. They are green and fairly thin. We lay near a tree and I volunteer to take the first watch. Valeria quickly falls asleep. So does Grandis. The medicine seems to have made him drowsy. Rulapia sleeps as soon as she sees her brother's okay. Daniela takes longer. She seems as if she wants to talk to me but when she tries, the words seem to get stuck. She even opens her mouth. But nothing.

"You can talk to me. Look, I'm sorry if I may have made you feel bad because of the training sessions. I didn't mean it." I tell her. She nods.

"Well. It's because... I just didn't like the fact that... Um, I'd trained hard this year and you just, sort of came along and you were just... Better than me." She slowly gets out.

I chuckle. "Is that it? Oh no, Daniela, you've got it all wrong. I may be good with knives but I would rather have a mallet. Believe it or not, that's what I originally learned how to throw, not knives."

She looks up at me, exasperated. I just shrug, as if to shake it off. She smiles. "Okay, I'll give you that."

"What?"

"You did everything to become a Career."

"Yeah. I know. You've got no idea. Go to sleep. We have some killing to do tomorrow." I tease her and reach out to her to shove her playfully. She swats my hand away and rolls over. I stay awake all night. I'm not exhausted. I'm telling myself I'm not. I yawn and ignore it. All those deaths. We lost a lot of our energy out there. At least we still have Grandis. As soon as he's better, we're up for the running again.

No sounds disturbs us. Three faces come up in the sky. My fellow allies keep sleeping. Septimus, Gunnar, Caldwell. But after that, nothing. There aren't many animals around either. The occasional squirrel makes me look around every once in a while but the girls and Grandis sleep on and so does Lartius' gang. When the sun is beginning to rise, I wake my allies. Grandis and Rulapia don't wake up just yet.

"Do you want to go now?" I ask.

"Did you sleep, Rhymer?" Valeria asks me while rubbing her eyes. I shake my head then look away. "You should. It's early, probably six in the morning, by the looks of the sun. You can sleep an hour or two, then we can kill them."

"Val's right, Rhymer. Since you're tired, I'll take this watch. I'll be good."

Upon hearing that, Rulapia and Grandis squint their eyes and go back to sleep. I chuckle, then I nod. "Okay. One hour. Then we hunt, alright?"

"Yeah, sure."

With that I lay down but I can't seem to sleep. I notice Valeria falls asleep quickly. I don't. I just pretend. As much as my eyes are drooping, I don't allow them to fully close. I mimic Valeria's breathing and Daniela must think I'm asleep because she begins talks to herself. She whispers softly and that makes it difficult to stay awake but I manage it.

"Rhymer could help me win. But we have to protect Valeria. I don't think Grandis and Rulapia will agree. In any case, Valeria deserves it. What about back home? The district will hate my family if I die on purpose. What do I do? I can't win but I can't lose. Maybe I can wake up Rhymer and we can make an agreement? But she'll probably say we should let Valeria win. She needs it. Yes. Valeria should win. Valeria will win, we'll help her. Rhymer will agree." She sighs deeply and I notice that her breathing slows down like Valeria's and I sit up. She's gone back to sleep!

I chuckle again and rub the sleep from my eyes. I grab a bottle of water, and wash my face as best as possible. I try to dry it with my shirt. After what I feel like an hour has passed, I wake them up.

"Val, look at Danny. She fell asleep while keeping watch!" Valeria sits up and laughs loudly. I shush her up quickly, alarmed we might be discovered, but no one comes. Her laughs wake up Rulapia and Grandis. We laugh again and Daniela wakes up to our laughter.

"Are you guys mocking me? How rude!" Then she joins our laughter and we can't stop for some minutes. Val ends up holding her stomach and Daniela wiping her face because she's crying. Grandis also holds his stomach. Rulapia's only smiling; she's still worried about Grandis. I'm on my back.

"Are you better now?" I ask Grandis.

"I don't know. Let's figure it out." He gets up slowly and walks in a fully circle. He runs a little and then jumps. Both of his thumbs come up. "All's good now!" He gives us a goofy smile and we go after Althea's group.

Back at the tree, as we're getting ready to aim, Althea wakes up. Daniela sneers loudly. Althea sits up because of Daniela's noise and wakes the others.

"Now!" Valeria yells whilst throwing her trident at Orchid, who's still trying to wake up. Orchid falls back down and doesn't get up. Althea screams and runs away. I quickly get off the tree and try to go after Althea but Lartius blocks my path. Orchid's cannon goes off. I shove him and go after Althea. I hear a scream behind me and I turn around to see Daniela has landed on top of Lartius. She looks for Majoris. Majoris is nowhere in sight and that scares me; he could be waiting for an opportunity to attack. Rulapia and Grandis also hunt for Majoris. Valeria is getting down when I see Lartius has her trident.

"No!" I hurl myself at Lartius and knock the trident out of his hand. We struggle for some minutes. He manages to kick me off, then pins me down with his foot, hurting my chest, and takes an axe. Valeria has finally gotten off the tree. She runs for her trident. Lartius lets her get close to it, then throws the axe. As much as I struggle, I can't get him off. Daniela stops looking for Majoris and she sees the axe going for Valeria. Even as she's running, we both know Valeria can't be saved.

With Danny distracted, Majoris sneaks away from his hiding place and goes after his sister. Finally spotting him, Grandis and Rulapia go after him. I manage to get Lartius off of me. He lands with a grunt and I go to Valeria. Daniela screams and goes after Lartius. He tries to run away but Daniela's aim is like mine. Her knife catches Lartius in the back and he falls. He doesn't get up. Another cannon goes off. I have no time to mourn Lartius. It's Valeria I want to save right now. I hope her cannon hasn't gone off. When I reach her, it hasn't.

"Valeria, this is going to hurt, okay?" I pull the axe from her stomach. She whimpers softly and then we're both holding her wound down. "Now look at me, please! We'll ask for more medicine from a sponsor or something, to save you, just stay with me. Come on!" I'm shivering. _Please stop bleeding._

"My bracelet. Have it," Valeria whispers. I take it. It has blood. I help her put it on me anyways. I now have two. "And my trident." I also take the trident. It feels wrong in my hand. The training tridents were different. Then I see why. Right underneath where the tree points meet, the Capitol wrote Valeria's name. This trident is designed specifically for her. No wonder she was so pleased when she found it. It was a gift - just for _her._

Daniela comes back to us and grabs Valeria's hand. I take the other. The Ivory twins aren't back yet. Valeria's breathing is starting to slow down. She doesn't talk to us anymore, only looks with wide eyes. Her grip gets stronger and I do my best to not cry. Her cannon goes off. I'm puzzled. Valeria looks like she's still breathing. Then I notice that her eyes are glazed over. I slowly get up and so does Daniela. I'm still troubled over Valeria still breathing even though she was declared dead. I try to shake it off. We do our best to walk away without looking back.

"We could have saved her, you know." I tell Daniela quietly. She looks at me, puzzled.

"Wait. You heard me, right? Did you sleep at all, Rhymer?" Now she's not.

"I did. A little. I swear. But I did hear when you said you wanted to save her. I wanted that too. Let's go. We have to find the twins and at least avenged her. You killed him, right?" Daniela nods. We are walking past Lartius. At the edge of the clearing, we look back. A hovercraft is taking Lartius, Valeria and Orchid away. The problem now is Althea and her brother. They were the ones who managed to get away. I know Daniela is angry that both escaped. So am I. There are eight tributes left now. We have to kill Althea if we want to win.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: It's Tuesday again? Who would of known. I'm on time today. Decided I couldn't fail you guys twice, right? So here I am. We are almost done with the Games. I'm hoping I'm not predicable. As we know now. This will be the first chapter out of three for today. A huge thank you to whomever's bothered to read this boring story so far. ************************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me. I won't keep you. Enjoy :).**

17 - The Pool of Final Eight

The day passes fairly quickly after those three deaths. We had the foresight to put the trap back on the mouth of the Cornucopia. Now that Althea and Majoris have escaped, they need a new plan and some weapons. If we'd left that open, we would need to be more careful.

Back at the Cornucopia, Daniela and I go inside and find Grandis and Rulapia going through the supplies. They obviously knew how the trap worked, and they were able to avoid it. We must now think about what we'll do next. Just as I'm about to speak, the anthem plays across the arena. The first face is Valeria, followed by Lartius. Then it's Orchid and it's over. From the twenty four original tributes, only eight are left. That's less than half. These Games are going by quickly. We decide to put our hunt off for yet one more day. Our sole goal was to keep Valeria alive. At least for Daniela and me, it was. And now, with her gone, our plan needs to be rebuilt.

By now, my parents are being interview yet again. Their other daughter is also in the pool of final eight. She has a slight better chance of making it home. How do they feel? The home interviews must be awful. I remember hiding from the cameras when the reporters came home to interview us. Daniela snaps me back to reality.

"Do you feel bad about your district partner's death? If you do, I'm sorry, Rhymer. I was too angry with him for killing Val." Daniela looks at me from the corner of her eyes. Rulapia and Grandis are in the back, picking over the last strand of supplies left yet again.

"I don't care. He deserves it. I got mad at him too. If you hadn't killed him, I would have done it myself. Good thing you did." My reply is cold and brittle. Daniela doesn't push it any further, but she volunteers for first watch. I tell her it's pointless but she pushes me back in and orders me to sleep. The Ivory twins give me looks of pity, but upon me looking at them, they shift their eyes.

"Fine. I'll be up in an hour." I mumble.

"Mmh. Just sleep. We'll be fine." She sits up front and has both hands full of knives.

I go all the way to the back. I've ignored the fact that I'm being filmed so far. But now, with Lartius and Valeria's deaths hanging over my head, I need some time to myself, and I remember those cameras, and I need to hide from them. I drag my sleeping bag and huddle in the corner. I curl one hand around the trident. The others settle in other places. I face the golden metal of the back of the Cornucopia. My mind insists on playing Lartius and Valeria's death in my mind. Especially when I close my eyes. I do my best to not cry but I give in afterwards.

Lartius mattered to me. Even when I was intent on hiding it. And I saw him die. I heard the cannon go off. I don't blame Daniela. I would have done the same thing if I were her. I'm still enraged over Valeria's death, and the true responsible one is Althea. At least, in my eyes she is, and I want to find as many ways possible to blame her. And she keeps giving them to me. I want to kill her for more than one reason. My last thought before sleep is that I will find her tomorrow and I'll kill her and I'll get it over with. I dream with Lartius and Valeria.

_Both are asking me to join them in monotone voices._ "Run! Run! Run away! Leave! You have a change. Run!"_ Lartius seems to struggle to tell me something. When he speaks in his normal voice, he cries out – from what, I don't know. I can't see anything attacking him or hurting him in any way._ "Run, Rhymer. Save yourself. They're coming to kill us! You have to get away. You have to. What are you doing, just standing there? Run! Get out of here!" _After that, both of them resume their chant and I try to help them stop. As I run towards them, I notice they are in chains. My pace is slowing down and Valeria screams for me to leave them there and simply run. I feel something cold wrap around my arms and legs. I'm slowly chanting with them. The words come out of my mouth and I slowly lose my individual thoughts. The more I try to remember small things, the more it hurts. That's when I feel someone move me next to Lartius and Valeria. I'm chained and like the others beside me, I look straight ahead, waiting for the opportunity to tell the next person to run away because we're all going to die soon._

Danny shakes me to wake me up. I trust the trident at her before I'm fully awake. "Hey! Watch out! It's just me, Daniela. Are you alright? You've been screaming for a couple of minutes. Are you okay? Rhymer, wake up!" After rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I bolt upright, lower the trident and stare outside the Cornucopia. Daniela sits next to me and we both silently watch. Grandis and Rulapia manage to stay asleep. I've never seen such heavy sleepers in my life.

"I had a dream. A nightmare, really... Valeria." I whisper after a while. I look at Daniela, shyly. I know that as Careers, our weakness are in disguise. But Valeria's death is too much. I look at my hand, and her bloodstained bracelet makes is worst. I don't take it off. It's a symbol of an unspoken promise to Valeria. I will win. I don't know how I'll make Daniela or the others die, but the promise is the bracelet. She sealed it with blood. All I know is that I won't be able to bring myself to kill any of them. If I hadn't joined the Careers, I would have definitely felt nothing towards the matter. But now?

"How bad was it?"

"Hmm?"

"The dream, Rhymer. How bad was it?"

"She was in chains. Yelling at me to run away because I was going to die if I stayed any longer. It was intense and very tiring. I would never want to see Valeria like that. Now that she's dead, I know I won't see her like it, but if she were still alive, I would never..." I let my words get carried away with the wind. I let my head hang. After a while, Daniela gives me an awkward one armed hug. I appreciate it and thank her for trying to stay positive in these moments.

"Do you want to sleep? I can take it from here. I have no desire to sleep any time soon. Nightmares usually haunt me for days and they take a while to go away. Go to sleep. We won't do anything tomorrow either." I whisper. So much for going after Althea now. I have to stay put.

"If you need me, wake me up. You don't have to fight alone, Rhymer. At least I'm here for you." She mutters her final words. I don't think I was supposed to hear those. I look away in order to hide my gratitude. She has turned into someone really helpful. I don't know what I'll do if she dies. My next goal is to keep her alive. Maybe she can win now. If I wasn't able to save Valeria, at least I can try to save Daniela. I realize how quickly I'm changing my mind.

There are no tributes in the sky this night. How long have we been here? A week? Possible some extra days, but it hasn't been long. We're only eight tributes and the arena is ever so big. I try to do a recount of which ones are left. I know that besides us, it's Althea and Majoris, lurking somewhere. But the other two? After several minutes of thinking, I come up with one. Struve, from District 7. I killed Pleione in the initial Cornucopia bloodbath, but I never saw his face in the sky in later nights. He must be one. _What was his training score?_ A six. _How has he made it this far?_ He could be picking up leftovers. The dropped items from the other tributes. Or he tricked us and got a bad grade on purpose. I drop the Struve subject and do a recount of all the days and we're on our tenth. We've been here for slightly more than a week, then.

The next day, we plan to practice with our weapons but the whole thing is cancelled due to the muttations. The moment Grandis sets foot out of the Cornucopia, small, red birds attack. Daniela chucks knives, I use her bow and take birds down with arrows. Grandis and Rulapia use spears. We spend the morning killing the things, and by midafternoon we're all panting from exhaustion. We do manage to take most of them out. The rest leave as quickly as they came. After that, we check each other for injuries. Using the leftover medicine from Grandis' sponsor, we help each other to apply it. After that's done, Daniela decides we should leave the Cornucopia to hunt down Althea and her brother. Grandis agrees. Plus, we have the Gamemakers to worry about – they could send something else in after us – we better get going. It's still afternoon and we follow her out. I put the trap on quickly and sloppily. We pick up our weapons – I leave the trident on purpose – and backpacks and choose a random path to follow. Although we're outside, hunting and exposing ourselves, we're not really focused on it. We walk silently around, still pained over Valeria's death. We've made an unspeakable agreement to not mention Valeria or – with Daniela – Lartius and the fact that they are now dead, because it's too painful and it brings memories.

"Grandis. What's the plan now?" I ask him.

"The plan?" Grandis sounds distracted.

"Yeah. Do you have a plan?" Rulapia asks, annoyed at her brother. Daniela sighs uncomfortably.

"No, I don't. Does anyone have any ideas? Rhymer?" Grandis gropes around for an answer.

"Yes, of course. I do have a plan. It's to kill Althea." I blur out.

"Okay, I know that, Rhymer. But how? Do we follow their trail or wait for them to come to us?" Daniela does her best to keep her voice level.

"Oh. That. It's simple. We'll just wait for them to come to us. If we hunt them, we'll be too predictable. Majoris already knew our plan before we knew it ourselves last time. I want to have the upper hand. We need to get rid of them as fast as we can. Do you know which other two tributes are alive besides us? Majoris and Althea, I know. I even know the kid from Seven still lives. But there's one more person. Do you know who?" I tell everyone. Hopefully they know of someone I'm forgetting.

Daniela ponders for a minute before coming up with a name, or at least, a number. "Ten. The girl from Ten."

"Who? Dorothea?" I go through the tributes faces we saw in the sky over the course of our stay in the arena. "You're right! It is her."

"How does this affect us?" Rulapia asks.

"It affects us they are still alive. It could mean that they are more powerful than we thought them to be. We have to look for them first. They won't know what's coming for them." I reply quickly. Daniela nods that she agrees with me. Grandis and Rulapia seem reluctant to do that.

"I say we take Althea down first." Grandis says as he crosses his arms. He gives his sister a sidelong glance, as if asking her to pick a side. I know what Rulapia will do. I just wait for it.

"I say we do what Grandis suggest," _Of course, you would, Rulapia._ "We will win this time. They're less now. Only two. We should be able to win."

"I get it. We should split up. We hunt the weak ones, you hunt the other twins. Is that okay?" I make up my mind before anyone says anything else.

The twins nod in agreement and we go in opposite directions.

"Was that a good idea?" Daniela asks.

"What?" I reply.

"Splitting up. Was it a good idea?"

"No. I don't think so. I know it will be better to just get rid of the weaklings. You know? I think I'm doing the right thing. I guess Grandis and Rulapia think the same goes for their case."

"I know. And I totally agree."

"Thanks. Do you think we should –" I'm about to suggest taking to the trees when I hear screams and a huge commotion up ahead. Daniela signals with her hand to follow her into the bushes. We do our best to hide and still be able to see what's going on. Rulapia is hanging from a tree. Her feet are strung onto a trap, and she fails to free herself from it. Grandis is climbing up the tree to see if he can find the string to set the trap back on the ground when Daniela and I see Struve come from the opposite side of the clearing and cut the string. He sets Rulapia on the ground. And stabs her in the throat.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: What do I say here? I'm running out of things to say! ************************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

18 - It's Only the Two of Us

"No!" Grandis, Daniela and I scream at the same time. Both Daniela and I get up and collide with Grandis as he's about to chase Struve.

"Out of the way!" Grandis roars. He shoves us to the ground and runs after Struve.

"What the hell was that for, Grandis!? I didn't do anything!" Daniela screams angrily after him. We know he can hear us, but he runs to find the tribute that killed his sister. A gurgling noise makes both of us turn around. "Rulapia!" Daniela whispers and we run to her. Grandis and Struve are no longer close enough to hear us. Rulapia will die without her brother.

"We're here for you. Just calm down. Medicine is on its way." I tell Rulapia. I know words are pouring out of my mouth without my permission, but Rulapia looks at me, asking for more. "Grandis is on his way. You know he won't leave you like this." To blink back the tears without her knowing, I look around. A parachute is making its way to the ground. Daniela opens her hands.

'They sent the medicine?' she mouths.

I shrug 'I don't know.' Rulapia's hand flies to her throat. Using her now stained hand, she clutches mine and struggles to write something. Bloody, crooked letters stain my arm. "Grandis will die soon." I read out. "What are you saying, Rulapia? You're delirious. He'll live."

Before she can answer, Daniela reads the message along with the parachute and taps my arm to read it. 'This will help Rulapia die faster. She's choking on her own blood. Just kill her.' The name Brutus is scribbled along the bottom of the note. Must be her mentor. There's awkward silence between Daniela and I for a few seconds. "I can't do it, Rhymer." Daniela sniffles. I decide to ignore her. I have to do this for Rulapia. I can't let her suffer like this.

"See, Rulapia? This is your medicine. Are you ready? You'll be okay. You'll be okay. See? You'll be up in some minutes," I soothe her and take her arm. Taking the needle, and slowly injecting it into Rulapia's arm, I keep talking to her. "And you'll help us kill Althea. Grandis is on his way. Just relax. Then we'll see how the plan goes." I smile at her and she smiles back, a crocked little thing spreading across her face. The syringe is now empty. I give it to Daniela and look at her; she puts it inside the parachute and then throws the container at the other side of the clearing. I turn back to Rulapia. I smile at her again. She tightens her grip on my hand then let's go. The cannon goes off.

"She's gone. We need to find Grandis. The hovercraft will take her soon." Daniela huffs out, trying to think of a way to stop the hovercraft from taking Rulapia's body before it happens. She's about to go pick the body up when I take her by the shoulder.

"It's no use. He'll just have to come down at some point. We'll just tell him them. And if he gets angry, he'll have to deal with it. He knows how these Games run. The Gamemakers won't stop for him." Just then, the hovercraft comes. Both of us run to the edge of the clearing and turn around on the last second to look at Rulapia for the last time. She looks asleep, but the blood gives it away. She's dead.

With the hovercraft gone, Daniela takes the lead and runs in the direction Grandis and Struve took off in earlier. We've been running for a solid two minutes – the Cornucopia is near our sight – when another boom of the cannon makes us stop. Daniela turns to me with wide eyes. _Who died this time?_ This makes me take the lead and run faster. We can't lose Grandis too. We're about to expose ourselves when I stop Daniela. I see someone at the top.

"Danny, look. Look! There's someone there. We can't expose ourselves."

"Whoever's there is not moving. You look!" Daniela points desperately at the roof of the Cornucopia and I look again. We stand still a couple of minutes. That's when the body falls off. That must have been who the cannon was for. _Please let it not be Grandis._ We run to the body. The face is so swollen, we can't tell who it is. It seems this person was punched harshly in the face and was killed after. "Struve." Daniela mumbles.

"How can you tell?" I ask her, doubtful. It's when I notice the shirt color, a dark green, that I realize that it _is_ Struve. Grandis has a metallic gray shirt. I sigh. The hovercraft comes yet again, this time for Struve. When the hovercraft is gone we go inside the Cornucopia. "Where's Grandis?"

"He must think we're still out. Let's just wait for him here. He'll find us eventually." Daniela finds a spot to sit in and relaxes. "If he doesn't come by the end of the day, we can go find him." She finishes lazily. We do nothing for the rest of the afternoon or early night. Ten minutes before the scheduled anthem across the arena that displays the deaths plays, another cannon goes off. Daniela gets up, and we both appear solemn.

"I guess we'll find out if he's dead or alive now. Let's see the faces tonight." I suggest. A tense nod and both of us sit in order to see the faces.

Ten minutes later, the anthem begins to play. The first face to appear is Grandis'. "No!" I scream. Brutal, powerful yet playful Grandis is dead. I wanted to hope, but it's finally just Daniela and I against Althea and Majoris. I know I have to calm down and see the other faces, but I know who it is. Rulapia and Struve. When the screen is off, I scream again. "That's it. I'm not letting Althea win. And the girl from Ten that's still alive? Let's go kill her right now." I begin to gather the last of the supplies on the inside of the Cornucopia and pack them up. I notice the trident I left behind earlier. I take it. Daniela silently follows. I don't think she's ever seen me angry. Sad, or confused, yes. Angry, not really. She doesn't know what to do. So she only follows. When all the useful supplies are in the bags we'll be taking with us, I burn the rest. Althea won't be able to use anything. We mostly packed up food. A couple of weapons and a pack of matches, a flashlight and the supplies are gone. We leave the Cornucopia behind. It's just Daniela and I. Hopefully, these Games will be over soon and one of us makes it home.

"Are you still angry?" Daniela asks cautiously. She keeps her distance.

"Yes. But not at you, obviously," I pause. I know I'd been rash in my decision and I'd totally ignored her. I should have asked to help me figure out what to do next. I was just too angry. "I just found it hard to sit down and not do anything about Grandis' death. We have to kill Dorothea. Then we cripple Althea the way Grandis was crippled. With her sibling. We have to do it." I insist. "It's only the two of us, you know. One of us has to win."

"Alright. Let's do it." Daniela and I leave the Cornucopia with the hopes that we might end this soon. We have to move anyways. The other tributes won't kill themselves, even when we hope they do. Dorothea is hiding. And the Overwhills are hunting for us. Might as well move. The fire from the burning supplies inside the Cornucopia will be enough to draw Althea to this part of the arena. Hopefully.

We have to end this. We have to end this now.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I almost forgot to upload the final chapter for today. Here I am, being a bad writer. ****************************Please don't forget to review. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

19 - Final Days

"Come on!" I urge Daniela to run alongside me. She's falling behind. After all the split ups with our deceased allies resulted in tragedy, I'm unwilling to let Danny out of my sight. I don't want her to die. "You've got to go faster!"

Just then, she falls. "Rhymer!" The night is quickly changing to day. We have to hide. I sprint back to her and pull her up.

"Be quiet! Daylight is dangerous. We have to hide, Althea could be anywhere." I hiss through closed teeth. "Come on!" I run to the nearest tree and cup my hands together. Using my head, I let Danny know she has to go up. _Come on!_ I can't believe she's being so slow. She comes and immediately uses my hands to climb. The run has given her momentum, so she doesn't even use my shoulders to climb. I toss her my bag and pass her my trident and quickly climb the tree myself. I make sure Danny and I are completely hidden when I hear noises. As if on cue, Dorothea comes bursting from opposite us. She's immediately followed by Althea. Majoris follows his sister sloppily. It's him who's making the noise. Dear gods, he's loud.

As soon as they pass, I get down and Daniela throws the stuff down after me. She hurries and jumps off the tree – I take my other weapons, the trident and bag and Daniela takes her own – and we run and follow Majoris' noise silently. After some minutes, we hear noises again. We must be getting near him, it's getting loud again.

"I'll go get Dorothea. You get Majoris. We'll meet at the Cornucopia and corner Althea. We'll decide the plan afterwards. Go!" Daniela rushes out madly before dashing off.

"What? NO! Danny, wait! It's no use!" If we split up… I try to chase her. That's when I crash into Majoris. He must have heard us, and he was coming back. After all, he was the last of the other three. He looks at me with wide eyes.

"Hello, Majoris." I say calming. "It's time to get your sister back." I grin wildly, and he scrabbles to get up. I use my trident to trip him. I get up myself. "You think you could get away? You had this moment coming, Majoris. Don't be arrogant." I get on top of him and use my knees to hold his arms to his back. Seeing him up close and I can still see some of the bruises Rulapia put on him. Now he doesn't struggle. He seems to want to remain calm. But his eyes are a dead giveaway. He is afraid of me, and this somehow makes me feel powerful, superior. I take some wire from my backpack and quickly tie his hands together. I make sure it's tightly, because if he tries to loosen himself, he'll cut himself and bleed. I pick him up by pulling his hair and I push him in front of me. I use the trident to guide him back to the Cornucopia. He doesn't speak or scream or make any noise at all. I know that he – just like the rest of us – wants to live, and I think he's thinking up of a plan as we're walking. But I can't fail Valeria or Grandis or any of my other allies. The ones that are dead. I owe it to them to get Daniela that crown. Or myself. I can't let the others win. I poke Majoris harder and he walks faster. He only winces. His pink shirt is now stained with his own blood. Once we're under the mouth of the Cornucopia, I get him to climb up. I follow him and we sit on the roof. I talk with him.

"Why is your sister doing this, Majoris? Huh? Does she actually think she can win against us? No, no. Why is she doing this? You killed Grandis. Right? See, this is why you're here. I think it's time we hit your sister were it most hurts." I pause. "You. And if she doesn't come, you'll die anyways. How does that sound? You like it? I love this plan. It's brilliant." He's about to answer back when the cannon goes off. I freeze. It better not be Daniela's. I try to shake off the horrible feeling in my gut and attack Majoris again. "Just answer my questions." I sneer at him. He immediately talks.

"She wants to prove to my parents she's worth something. My dad persuaded her to get into the Games. Persuades us. He forced us to get lots of tesserae for our chances of being tributes to increase. And if we didn't get chosen, we were going to volunteer. She thinks she can because our dad put us into classes. He has wanted us to win since we turned twelve. We killed Grandis by watching him kill the kid from Seven and then we made noises to draw him our way. We used a trap to hang him upside down and my sister put three spears through his stomach. It took all day for him to die, he had a strong will to live. She won't come for me, so you can kill me now. I knew you were smart and strong and powerful enough to do more than this. For one, Lartius always talked about you like that. And it took us a lot to trust him; while you, the minute you walked into the knife throwing section, everyone wanted you as their ally. You had choices. And you went for the Careers. You're going to win. I know it. Just get it over with."

"If it's what you want." I'm about to untie him so that I can give him a chance even though I know I'll win when I hear someone start to climb the side of the Cornucopia. Whoever it is can't seem to get up, and they struggle to do so. I decide to keep Majoris tied and put him on his knees, standing behind him. I bring the three trident points to the nape of his neck and wait for the person to come up. I push the points, drawing blood, but not killing him. If it's Daniela, I'll lower the trident. If it's not, I'll kill him. A head appears, followed by a pink shirt.

"Oh, hello Althea! Nice of you to join us. Come on up. Took you long too catch up. We were waiting for you. Majoris, say hi to your sister." The moment I see her face come up, I hide my shock as fast as I can and taunt her. I expected Daniela.

"What are you doing here? Go!" Majoris yelps when he sees his sister on the roof.

"I'm not leaving you, Majoris." Althea says while giving me an icy glare. Her grip tightens on her spear, but I'm not afraid. I dig the trident and Majoris grunts. Then I pull his hair and get him to get up. I'll use him as a shield. I wrap my arm around his neck and put the trident to his stomach, poised to slash it open if it's necessary. The unleveled ground of the Cornucopia gives me height, even though Majoris is taller than me.

"You want to help him, your brother. It's too bad you couldn't save the others. But guess what? I'm in the same position as you. But _I've_ lost too many things you will never understand, to get to this point. You're not going to win. I can do this. You know I can. _I_ will bring pride to my _parents._ Go on. Throw it. Throw the spear. You won't win anyways. I'm better than you. Go on! You're dead before you can save your brother. And none of you matter, that's how it is for us. We kill you. That's what everyone wants. Throw the spear. I'll win anyways." I see Althea taking aim. When the spear leaves her hand, I drop my arm from Majoris' neck and hack and slash at his stomach with the trident before I take off to the edge of the Cornucopia. A sick suction sound confirms the spear is now lodged onto Majoris' chest. Althea screams. I jump off the edge and take off to the trees. I leave Althea behind, screaming for her brother to still be alive. The cannon that goes off lets me know he doesn't survive. I keep running, not stopping for anything. Daniela has to be here somewhere, and I've got to find her. She must have been the one to kill Dorothea. _But why did she not go to the Cornucopia if she was still alive?_ She must have seen from the sidelines or she must be somewhere else, hiding out and waiting for me to catch up to her. Wishing I could run even faster to catch up to Daniela, I don't notice where I'm going. It's when I collide with the tree that I'm able to stop. My collision with the tree gives me a broken nose and a few marks across my arms and face. It also leaves me dizzy, and if I lift my head too fast, the ground dips and sways. Moving slowly, I notice that one of the good things is that the points of the trident ended up on the other side of the dirt, or else, it could have gone much worst.

A rumble that's quickly intensifying from the trees opposite me makes me wake up from my daze. But only slightly. I shake my head and give myself a pinch to shake it off. I climb the tree sloppily, and if it weren't for the trident, I would have fallen off. I use it as a pick axe. The moment I see Dorothea drop from exhaustion near the base of the tree, I jump off and slam the butt of the trident onto her stomach. I don't use much force, due to the tree collision, but Dorothea grunts and then screams when she sees me standing over her.

"Did you kill her? Where's Daniela!?" I scream groggily at her. She's too frightened to notice I'm weak; she's too frightened to speak – she shakes her head roughly, but the rest of her body is frozen. "Who killed her? Please!" I whisper desperately. Tears begin to spill from my eyes as my vision blurs but I clutch my trident with all I've got and focus only on Dorothea's face.

"It wasn't me. It was the other girl. The one in pink." Dorothea's finally able to speak. Her words echo in my brain, and the last strand of sanity left inside of me snaps. I feel the trident slipping past my fingers and Dorothea's face disappears behind angry tears. Then all at once, my anger floors me to reality. I blink away the tears and pass my hand under each eye to clean it up quicker. I'm no longer dizzy from my collision with the tree. _Don't break, don't break, don't break. You have to win now. Move! Move on! Kill Althea. Stop crying and move on!_ Shaking my head from side to side to clear it yet again, I notice Dorothea's slowly walking away. With her back to me, she doesn't see me take aim, and she doesn't see me throw the trident at her. The trident hits her square in the back. She quickly sinks to her knees and cries.

I walk up to her, to face her, but not before I pull the trident out. She begins to cough, and her blood sprays everywhere. She falls on her stomach, facing me and chokes on her own blood. I walk to the nearest tree and stay. I watch her die. It takes several minutes. I see her strain to keep herself alive. Her hands clutch the grass and the dirt, as if they were the only thing keeping her where she is. She begins to gurgle her blood in her mouth in order to speak. Right before she dies, she spits her blood out and looks me right in the eyes. "Why!?" She screams. Then the cannon goes off. I run away from the site, as if that will make it all go away.

Of course it was Althea. This is why I didn't want to split up with Daniela. If Althea was faced with killing Dorothea or Daniela, of course she was going for the latter. It makes me feel that I'm the lesser person because I wasn't there for her, for when she died. She died alone. I didn't want her to die at all. And now that she has, I wasn't even there for her. The anger is not going away; on the contrary, it intensifies more as I hear Dorothea's 'why' and see her crying face. I know I'm responsible for her death. I knew the only way to ensure me being a winner, was to kill her. But that doesn't make me feel any better. I didn't anticipate to feel like this when I trained for the Games. It gets worst, and I'm trying my best to not show Althea I'm emotionally unstable. That will be the death of me. She won't hesitate for anything or anyone, period. I know for a fact that the Cornucopia is no longer safe. I scavenge for a tree to hide in. It's just Althea and I now. It's not even nighttime, but I dread the moment the anthem will play and the faces will flash across the sky. As much as I try, I will break down then. The hours before nighttime pass by slowly, but without disturbance. Not even a cannon. Althea is not stupid, and she won't let herself get killed easily. I would be slightly disappointed for some reason if she did let herself get killed.

I eat some of the food I have and settle into tree's branches. At what I feel is around six at night, screams begin to resonate around the arena. The screams begin slowly and are very tempting. I recognize my mother's scream, my father's, and my sister's. _How is that possible!?_ Before I know what I'm doing, I'm off the tree and running around wildly, doing my best to locate the screams. In between the screams of my family, I hear the screams of other people. I wonder if those are targeted for Althea. As I'm running, I scream my sister's name over and over again.

_There!_

The screams get louder and louder, and I try not to cover my ears. I see a dog looking _thing_ off to the side of the path I'm running on, and as I passed it, the stronger the screams became. I stop on my tracks and go back. The only way I could see it – as I was passing – was due to its red eyes. Night is quickly making the arena a maze. When I get closer, I'm able to see the mutt is small, but very complex in design. The Gamemakers have finally sent something else in to go after us. It took them long to do it. The mutt is jet black and it has ridges along its spine line. They look pointy and deadly; if one so much as gets lodged in my stomach, I could die. I don't want to test that theory. The teeth are black, sharp and also pointy. I don't want to find out what they would do if they were to come in contact with my skin. The claws are the same way. Even from my spot, I can tell the skin is thick and it will take a lot to kill it with just a weapon.

I take the trident, and just as the mutt is about to jump at me – screaming atrocities – I throw my weapon at it. The trident bounces off the side of the mutt and the screams stop abruptly. _What have I done?_ The mutt resumes the screaming. It runs to the nearest tree and begins to scratch it. It does it only twice, and swiftly. That's when I hear more screaming. And the sound of something running towards me. Mere seconds before they crash into my field of vision, I realize the mutt with me called _more_ of its kind and they're coming after me. Without waiting for them to appear, I jump over the mutt near me, pick up my trident and I take off, scolding myself. I feel them closing in on me, and I urge my legs to go faster, my arms to propel further. I see a tree burst out of the darkness, and without hesitation, I begin to climb it. I'm a good five feet up, and the mutts try to jump up to me. They are unsuccessful. Until one of them decides to climb the tree with its claws. They all surround me, and I wonder how I'll get out of this one when a parachute comes down. I climb the tree higher and get the parachute.

'Don't drink.' – Skene.

I find a giant bottle of water. I'm not thirsty, so why would Skene even send water? The mutts scream louder. My sister's screams hurt the most, because they are the exact screams she made in _her_ Games. I don't know what to do with the water, and this is quickly turning into a nightmare. Maybe I fell asleep in the tree and I'm actually dreaming about this. I tell myself to wake up. I try to go back down but the mutts are a good four feet up the tree. When I think I've reached the five foot mark, I jump off. A mutt stops screaming long enough to try to bite me. Only a single pointed tooth catches me in the shoulder. The pain from the bite and the landing tells me I am not dreaming, that this is real, and if I don't move, I will die. An intense itch begins to come from the bite, and when I slap it to soothe it, it swells up to a grape-sized bump. I scream again, drawing the other four mutts' attention. They all jump off and prepare to run after me. I run again, and open the water bottle. I'm about to drink it when I remember Skene's note. I'm holding the bottle with my bitten arm and it weights it down. I throw it behind me and the screams are gone, replaced with the mutts' yelps and howling. I stop. I throw the trident again and the mutt that gets hit with it finally falls down dead. Their weakness is water. I want to thank Skene, but it will have to wait. I have the mutts to kill.

With newfound strength, I attack the remaining mutts. I use the axes hidden in my backpack and kill two more. One from the back, the other through the mouth. Before I kill the second, though, it manages to bite me in both ankles. My axes are dripping blood. The other two mutts begin to circle around me. I notice one head over to a tree and I know that I have to stop it before it calls on more mutts. I throw the axe and it gets it right in the head. The last mutt growls and screams with my sister's voice.

The lump on my shoulder itches again; I decide to scratch it this time. It bursts and begins to bleed heavily. My hand slick with blood, I pry the trident from the first dead mutt and take a defensive position, facing the last one. My ankles are also itching me, but the shoulder wound has warned me from touching them at all. The trident on one hand, the axe on the other, and the mutt screams again, launching itself at me. I drop the axe and use both hands to hold the trident's shaft to stop the mutt's teeth from touching me again. The mutt is strong and its teeth grace my cheek. I feel my cheek itch. I bring my legs to my chest, making them swell, and kick the mutt off of me. It gets up with me. I throw the trident and close my eyes. The same sound the spear made when Majoris received it reaches my ears. The mutt is dead. I collect the trident only, leaving the axes with the mutts and kick each in turn to be reassured they are dead and that they will no longer scream horrors at me, or anyone. If Althea is going through this same odyssey, I'm not jealous. I forget how I got the injury on my check and scratch it hard. It swells and bursts quickly, and I scream due to the pain. Good thing I closed my eyes as I was scratching or the blood could have made me blind. I take the axe and putting the handle between my teeth, I slap myself everywhere and burst the lumps on my ankles. I grunt and moan now. I decide to stay put and climb the tree the mutts cornered me on. I heard many screams after I'd killed the mutts aimed at me and I know Althea's still fighting. Since no cannon goes off, I know she's alive. It's when I calm down that the anthem begins. In the background, the screams come to a stop.

The first face that appears is Daniela's. I break down crying. I see Majoris' face and Dorothea's through tears. I put my fist in my mouth and bite down. My screams get muffled by my hand, and I have to calm down. No one wants to sponsor a weakling. I'm not a weakling because I've been sponsored so far.

The night turns to day slowly. I don't dare close my eyes. The tree leaves marks on my exposed arms and my legs. My back is stiff, and when I move, everything hurts. The mutt bites have stopped bleeding, but if I'm not carefully, they will get infected. They haven't scabbed yet. When I see the sun break across the horizon, I breathe easily. I don't move all day. I stay in my tree and stay attentive until I doze off for thirty minutes at noon. No cannon goes off. I wish I could call on Skene to send me some medicine because a carefully look at my bitten shoulder and ankles tells me something's wrong. The edges have turned a nasty yellow, and I don't want to imagine how my cheek looks. I prepare for night.

That's when the bees come. They come one by one, so I'm not aware of them until they overwhelm me with their numbers. Eventually, as I try to slap them away and still stay on the tree at the same time, I lose my balance and fall. The bees chase me down and I get up, screaming and crying, hoping to get everything to stop. I give up trying to keep the bees away and take off. A second look shows me they aren't bees. They're tracker jackers.

_I thought they were close to extinct. And if the rumors are right, they only nest outside the woods of 12. How did they get here?_

My mind goes from escape plan to full panic mode. Tracker jackers _kill_. But then a third look at these little insects tell me they are _silver_.

_What is this?_

They _are_ bees. And their body is solid silver. They're still mutts. Of course. I hate the Gamemakers for doing this to me. Did we not give enough enthusiasm by nearly dying with the other mutts? Fresh out of ideas on what to do, I stop, roll and hide under some bushes. I hear the bees moving above me, but being hesitant on where to go. _They can't see?_ While on this sort of relapse, I check my body for stings or other injuries. A couple of hives on my arms are visible, but other than that, I am clean. The bees are still above me, but they look as if they're making some sort of plan. Some go left, others right, more take the trees and others begin to search the ground. These are intelligent. It seems I can't outrun them, which means I have to stay still and do my best to not move. I hope they can't see. I tremble, thinking that if I am found, they're going to sting, or worse; eat me alive. I watch helplessly as night immediately claims the arena, again. Five minutes before the anthem plays, the bees leave. A strangled, chocking sound of relief leaves me and I wipe the sweat from my brow. A shaking, clammy hand that looks like mine falls to the ground.

No faces appear in the sky. Did Althea get attacked like me? Escalading the tree to avoid ground attacks, I settle in for the night. I'm finally about to give in to sleep when Claudius' voice booms across the arena. "Attention! Attention, tributes, attention. In an hour, at the mouth of the Cornucopia, a pedestal will be put up for your escape of the arena and your victory. Should neither of you make it to said pedestal in an hour, it will disappear and never come back. Good luck. And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

I fall off the tree. I grunt and then scream when I move. I'm sore and injured, and the mutts' teeth must have been poisonous because I can no longer feel my shoulder, cheek, or ankles. The hives pulse horribly, and I fall to my knees and realize that I will have to drag myself to make it to the Cornucopia. That thought makes me shudder and grinding my teeth, I take the trident and use it as a crutch. The first steps are excruciating, and I grind my teeth even harder – if it's possible – to prevent myself from screaming. The more I walk, the less I feel the pain, but I don't stop clutching the trident. It's covered in so much blood, I can't read out Valeria's name inscribed in it. I lean against a tree and pull out some water. I dip my hand in, staining the liquid, and brush my fingers against Valeria's name. It's clean and visible now. Proud of my work, I keep moving. It feels like I've been walking for a long time, but I know it hasn't been long. The Cornucopia looms up in front of me. Just as I arrive at the edge of the clearing, the pedestal bursts from the ground. The hour has begun. I begin to walk, out in the open, to the mouth of the Cornucopia.

Just then, I see Althea appear across from me. Time to run.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: So it's Tuesday again! The days are going by really fast. I'm so excited that we've finally made it to 20 chapters :)! And all the positive acceptance of this horrible fan fic. Thank you to all who have been following the story so far. I am eternally grateful. ********************************Please don't forget to review. I promise I'll read them all. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

20 - My Victory Is Fire

Despite my injured ankles, I run for my life. Althea runs too, and looking at her shows me a girl bleeding from her stomach and her neck. The mutts got her too. Visible hives on her face prove both mutts got her. Her eyes haunt me even after I stop looking at her and I focus on the pedestal. They are tortured. I wonder briefly if my eyes look the same. She still has the spear that killed her brother. I'm sure she'll use it to kill me with it too. Her injuries are alike mine, caked at the edges in yellow. One of use has to get out of here in order to survive the mutts' poison. We don't even know if the bees were poisonous. We start to run parallel now, the pedestal's right in the middle of the mouth. I feel as if I've gained some distance over her when she tackles me from behind. She turns me around. She no longer has her spear, but I do have my trident and I use the shaft to hit her in the face and get her off of me. Falling to the ground on her side and covering her mouth, she screams at me and gets her spear. Her nose is swelling quickly – and it's bleeding. Alike the mutt attack, I take a defensive position. This time, I only have the trident and some spare knives. I remember the axes are gone. Althea tries to copy my position, and she grips the spear with shaking hands.

"Even your brother said I was going to win. Just give up." I tell her. She growls, and I shake my head, laughing. "Have it your way then." I throw a knife and she jumps back, leaving her position. I swing the trident and knock the spear out of her hand. I dig the trident on the ground and launch myself at her. I punch her in the eyes and nose, everywhere, then take her by the hair and slam her head on the ground. She grunts and manages to sneak her hand up to my face. She jabs her fingers into my injured cheek and I yelp and jump off her. I hold my cheek – it's bleeding again – and my jaw goes slack. She kicks my injured ankles and I yell again. I'm on my knees, and my injuries are bleeding; all except my shoulder one.

"No, you're not. You know, I have no idea why my brother would tell you that. But I'm going to win. You're not the only one who sacrificed something in order to get to this point. I'll win. You're wrong. I'm not dead. You're the one that doesn't matter. And it was a pleasure killing your allies." She smirks. I pull the trident from the ground and thrust it at her. She dodges it, takes her spear, and we swing our weapons back and forth. It's obvious I do more damage to her, yet she doesn't give up easily. We grunt and scream and dodge each other, and we forget all about the pedestal. We've been fighting for a long time, and one of us has to be swift, kill the other and go to the pedestal. I decide I have to trick Althea now or I'll never leave this arena. I flick my wrist upwards and she covers her face with her spear. That's when I swipe the trident at her legs. She falls back and I jump on her again. I take her hair once more and use it to slam her head onto the rocky dirt. The various scratches she had given me with her spear are bleeding, but that's the least of my worries. I take the trident and aim it at her heart. She looks at me dead in the eyes, as dazed as she is, and doesn't scream, cry, struggle, beg for mercy, or do anything. Her haunted eyes cling to mine with so much force, I can't look away. Only blink. This makes me lower the trident, and put it aside.

"Do it," she whispers. I lift an eyebrow. "Get it over with." With that, I take a knife and dig it onto her stomach, pulling it out soon after. Blood splatters on my arms and face.

I have no idea if the hour has passed or not, but I'm terrified that if it is over, I won't be able to leave in a long time. This propels me to run – Althea and I fought halfway down the path to the Cornucopia. I pick up the trident from the ground and take it with me, just in case. I reach the pedestal and climb in, shaking slightly, and I put pressure on my injuries in order to hide it. I hear no cannon, even though I am more than sure that Althea is dead. Being on the pedestal, I notice it is enclosed by a tube, but the sliding panel that closes it is open. I scramble to look for a button or a switch or anything that could close it and secure my victory. I find a button hidden behind me; it's translucent, which is why I took so long to find it. I press it and the tube finally closes. The cannon still hasn't gone off.

It's still dark out; the only illuminated place around is the Cornucopia, which manages to shine some light on the tube. Just then, a hand slams on to the tube. I jump back – dropping the trident – and try to break _out_ of the tube, just like the hands form into fists and try to break _in_. I scream and yell, slamming my hands on the button that closed the tube, hoping that it will open. The hands belong to Althea and as soon as I realize it, I stop pressing the button and do my best to stand still. Her blooded hands leave prints all over the glassy surface, and the knife in her hand is dripping with her own blood.

Another button seems to appear next to the closing one. Did I notice it before? I don't know, and I also don't know if I have to push it or not. Althea still slams her hands and the knife next to it. She considers using the spear. When I see her coming towards me in the tube with the spear, I scramble to make myself small and accidentally press the buttons. The sliding panel of the tube stays shut. The other button goes into effect. Lightning strikes all the trees surrounding the clearing of the Cornucopia, making a ring around the clearing. All at once, they burst into flames and they consume everything in their path quickly. Althea freezes and scrambles around upon seeing the fire. The problem is, the fire is _everywhere_, forming a ring around the Cornucopia, and she has nowhere to go. She looks for a hiding place nonetheless. I'm terrified; I've hear glass bursts when in constant contact with fire, and that will result in exploding glass, and possibly my death. With thick, black smoke slowly covering my tube, I see Althea go inside the Cornucopia, and I'm angry at the Gamemakers for not taking me away already. That just means that I will have to witness Althea's death. I follow her frantic running outside the tube with my eyes. She has nowhere to go. She will burn to death. I lose my fear of the breaking glass, yet a new fear replaces it. And it's not a fear concerning myself. It concerns Althea and how she will die.

Her hand slams on the tube again, but this time, it's desperate. Her eyes try to ask me what her mouth cannot. 'Help me.' Even if she were to speak it, I wouldn't of have heard it. The tube I'm in is sound isolated. I look away from her eyes and look at her wounds and hands instead. She catches fire. Her face twists into pain, and I'm sure she's screaming, and she keeps pounding on the glass with fiery fists. I put my hands on my ears and cringe away from her. Her hand slams onto the tube one final time and then slowly slides down. Her hand and arm spasms, twitching horribly, and I finally close my eyes. The cannon sounds inside the tube, and Althea's finally dead. The fire still dances behind my eyelids. The fire stops as fast as it started once Althea is dead and the tube opens by itself. I walk out, stepping onto charred ground, forgetting the trident and everything else behind in the tube. The speakers play the sound of a roaring crowd – as if that will make me feel any better over what I just witnessed. A hovercraft comes, takes Althea's burned body and then drops a ladder for me. I hesitate, but this is the only way I'll be able to leave.

The hovercraft takes me away, and after all the tortures of the arena I breathe easier, and I finally begin to feel safe. Doctors come to me, and out of the corner of my eyes, I see a shade of burned pink. Althea. A Capitol person offers me food and it takes me a while to pry my eyes away from Althea's body and take the plate. I'm famished. They also offer me a glass of water. I drain it in seconds and my plate is clean in moments after. After I'm done eating, the doctors tend to me. I'm laid in a table, and stripped of almost all the garments I wear. The small scars and all the dirt disappears quickly, with the help of some salves, lotions and soaps applied on my skin. It's the mutts' bites and other vital injuries that have the doctors working harder. When they realize simple medicine doesn't help with my injuries, they decide to sedate me and stabilize me before doing anything else. A single inhale of the sleeping chemicals has me going way under in a heartbeat.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: The second chapter for today. Enjoy! ************************************Please don't forget to review. I promise I'll read them all. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

21 - A Victorious Interview

I wake up in a clean, sterile room. A few tubes are connected to my arms and chest. Another tube pumps air into my nose. A blinding white bandage is wrapped around my shoulder and both of my ankles. I touch my cheek and a rough texture meets my fingers. My hands are clean, and completely groomed. I remember that I have to be made presentable for the cameras and for the Capitol and for everything. I'll be here for a few more days. A faster recovery means a quicker time at the interview and yet a faster return home, with my parents. Doctors and nurses come and go; an Avox is assigned to feed me at special hours. The Avox boy even walks me around. He smiles at me and is very friendly. I don't know how long I stay there. Possibly some days.

I'm inspected on what I feel is the final day once again. The mutts' poison from my wounds is long gone, the scars are disappearing and all I have to wait for is for the doctors to give me clearance, to take the last bandages off, and hand me over to my prep team, stylist and mentors. I don't wait long. In the next hour, bandages are revised, liquids are taken away, tubes and wires are withdrawn and I'm left alone to change. The outfit leaves me baffled for several minutes; I only pull myself out of the shock when I remember that I have to greet my team and mentors with the tribute outfit. I shake as I put the pants on, and my teeth chatter – as if I were somewhere cold – when I pull the shirt over my head. Taking deep breaths to calm myself down before I meet with Skene, Fannia, and the others, I take my shaking hands and use them to put my hair into a small braid. My Avox friend takes me by the hand and puts me in front of a closed door. We smile at each other shyly before he leaves.

The panel opens silently, and doing my best to control myself, I calmly look down the hall for my mentor, my prep team, everyone.

"Rhymer." Skene's voice soothes me, and when I see him, I go to him and crush him in my arms. I'm gripping him so tightly, my knuckles are white. I give an exasperated sigh – Skene chuckles slightly – and then a soft mewl. I can't seem to let Skene go – they even try to pry me off him. That's when everyone decides they'll just have to congratulate me on winning with just patting my head or back.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." I whisper to Skene over and over again. He pats me and shushes me, doing his best to get me to stop whimpering and crying. He coaxes me to go with Pliny and get ready for my Victory Interview. I'm reluctant, but Winnow agrees with Skene, and together, they make me go with Pliny with just their words. Fannia's just there, not saying anything.

Pliny takes me through a series of paths and we're passing the Training Center soon. We ride the elevator and make it to the fifth floor in less than a minute. I'm rushed to my tribute room – I don't even have time to look at Lartius' door, let alone mourn him – and we met the prep team and they get to work on my makeup and outfit for my final interview. It's all done quickly. They ramble about how they were rooting for me and how they bragged to their friends how they were the prep team of the winning tribute. I ignore them like always and stay immobile until they are done with all the polishing, brushing, plucking, and decorating of my body. When they are done, they make me stand, congratulate me quickly, and leave me with Pliny.

We eat right before I'm taken down. Pliny and the prep team seem reserved as to what they're eating, but I stuff down as much as I can. I feel as if I don't eat a lot, I'll miss out on all the good food. Pliny gives me a stare when he sees me eat so aggressively.

The show is about to begin. Pliny takes me down to the Training Center and leaves me standing on a plate. He only tells me to stay on it and not move or get off. He leaves me there, all in the dark, and all the events of the arena flash before my eyes. The darkness of the place makes it worst. Skene comes down and greets me with a hug. Again, I find it hard to let go.

"I'm so glad you're out. Are you ready to shine? Remember to smile and wave. The crowd will love you. And keep your humor on stage, you want to spoil us, don't forget that." Winnow speaks as she and Fannia get out of the elevator. They reach me and I finally hug Winnow and I give Fannia a shy nod.

"Fannia won't be appearing on your behalf, as I was your mentor. As we both know, she was," Skene stops short. He clears his throat roughly and continues. "She was Lartius' mentor. Only I will appear. But Fannia will sit next to me in the crowd."

"Of course, Winnow. Thank you for the advice. And thanks, Skene. For everything. Really." I smile at both and they all take off to change for their appearance. I shrug off Skene's comment about Fannia being Lartius' mentor. I am alone again. I shake myself, trying to loosen up. When the anthem of Panem begins, I tell myself I have to be calm and I hear Caesar's voice announce my team. Nevra, Perla and Fir must be beyond with excitement. The Capitol crowd cheers. Then it's Winnow. I hear her scream 'thank you' a couple of times back to the crowd. Then Pliny is introduced and the crowd's screams intensify. When Skene is announced, I smile a little. Without even seeing him, I know he's grinning at the crowd, nodding and waving. I got to learn a few of his mannerisms, and what I envision him doing makes me smile.

My hair is in a braid and has lightning shaped clips all over it. A few loose strands makes me look casual and naturally relaxed. Pliny put me in a light blue long sleeved loose tunic above the knees and grey mid-calf length leggings. The whole thing reminds me of Lartius. But only briefly, as the plate is starting to rise.

When I feel the plate rising, I'm momentarily taken back to the arena – to the tribute tube. My smile falters and I begin to tremble again. It's when the blinding lights of the stage hit my eyes that I remember it's all over and I'm out of the arena and I'm being interviewed before going home. I smile again, out of relief, and start waving at the crowd. The crowd is yelling my name over and over again – a few of the screams remind me off all the other times my allies and other tributes called on me, taunted me – and I do my best to not let my smile falter. I walk to the victor's chair. It's slightly large for me, and my feet are almost off the ground.

"Welcome back, Rhymer. Welcome back." Caesar greets me with a wide smile. I smile back. "Are you ready for the show? Are you ready?" Caesar asks the crowd to show their excitement, and they comply. A loud roar reaches my ears. "Ready, Rhymer?" I nod. I'm back to my old self, losing my voice when I'm nervous. I sit straight and smile and nod at the crowd.

The moment I say I'm ready, the lights go dim and the seal of Panem flashes across the screen. I keep the smile plastered on my face. I grind my teeth, feel the smile turn into a grimace, and I'm grateful the lights are low. I smile with clamped teeth. The cameras will get shots of me watching the show, occasionally. I'm not giving a weakling response. I'll at least smile through it, regardless of what's on screen. Hopefully.

The story told by the highlights of my Games is one of an adventurer. It starts off with my sister's reaping. I give an inaudible gasp, then resume my controlled face and manner. It's followed by my own reaping. The tribute parade, and I again appear arrogant when I smile and wave at the Capitol crowds during that. A small round of applause ripples through the gathered crowd before they show my training score. Then my interview and the new laughter of the crowd combined with the original laughter makes it slightly unnerving; they have no other form of entertainment. For reasons unknown, I grin at this point, and some people in the crowd sneak looks at me and upon seeing my reaction, nudge their friends to look. They're willing to sacrifice screen time to look at the real thing. So brave of them. When we get to the arena, there's a detailed presentation on the bloodbath deaths. I see how Grandis and Valeria killed the other tributes in the initial killings. My grin turns into a small smile. Our plan plays out and I see Lartius and Althea trick and kill the girl from 6. My Career pack appears hunting other tributes to kill. Then it's me killing Martial. They show both of my small fights will Althea. Then we see Gunnar and Septimus – the first of my allies that died – fall to their deaths with Caldwell. I'm still smiling. I will not let them know I'm terrified, and disgusted, that I want all of this to be over. After the boys' deaths, they show me speaking with Daniela about my struggles to become a Career, but not all of it, and then it's our fight with Althea's alliance. Orchid dies. I also see Lartius and Valeria die all over again. I know just this once that my smile is gone. It takes long to regain my smile after that. The filmmakers show a brief clip of all of us training and showing each other our skills before we hunt down the other tributes again. That's immediately followed by Rulapia's death cut short, Grandis killing Struve and Althea and her twin killing Grandis. Again, it takes a while to regain my smile. Because shortly after I make Majoris my hostage, Daniela is killed. I see her struggling to breathe because of the knives Althea kept digging onto her stomach.

"Help me, Rhymer. Help." Those are Daniela's final words. I cringe, a single tear escapes from me, and I gulp loudly before regaining my composure. Her death is followed by my dramatic speech to Althea. The crowd cheers again. My killing of Majoris, then of Dorothea. My entire battle with the mutts is shown, as is the struggle with the bees, but the screen is split, so I'm also able to see how Althea fought her battle with those monsters. She only had her spear, and it took her longer to use the water against the mutts. They bit her in the back, at the nape of her neck, and on her stomach. Another claimed her thigh. And she was asleep when the bees attacked, making her an easy target. As Claudius announces once again that a pedestal will be raised, the crowd watching the film with me falls dead silent with anticipation. I grin again. I can't control myself. I see my fight with Althea the way the entire country did. I look strong and superior when in combat with Althea, it's absurd. The fire, Althea's gruesome death, it's all shown. All of it, down to the final second. The seal of Panem shows once more, the screen goes black again, the lights are blinding one more time and the crowd can finally see my reaction to the film. I'm all smiles.

I rise when the anthem is over and President Snow takes the stage. A small girl follows him, carrying a fluffy pillow in her arms; it holds the victor's crown. The president takes the crown delicately and comes over to me with a smile. I feel the small yet powerful presence of the crown the moment it rests on my head.

"Congratulations." President Snow gets out in a soft, cool voice.

"Thank you." I answer coolly myself. When he steps aside, I grin and wave at the crowd. Some resume to screaming my name again, while other just cheer loudly; there are others who simply clap to their heart's desire. After that, Caesar tell the audience the show is over and that my final interview will be tomorrow and that everyone better tune in to watch it. Skene comes up on stage as the people are leaving the auditorium and grips my shoulders softly but firmly. We both nod when President Snow walks off the stage. I stay behind with my team until I'm told we all have to go to the president's mansion for my Victory Banquet.

I don't eat much, as I'd eaten a lot before the show. Even if I would have been starving, it wouldn't have been satisfied. Too many Capitol officials, important people and sponsors are pulling me in their direction to get a picture of me with themselves. I smile at everyone, and Skene is close by, constantly ensuring I'm not being overcrowded. I even see the president at some point during the event. Upon him seeing me looking at him, he raises his glass of wine and nods at me. I do the same. My smile never falters this time around. The evening flashes by in a blur. At one point, several men pass by without a word, but they all glaze my face, my arms, my back; I shudder. After that incident, I'm more cautious of who I go with, but as always, I'm smiling. When I give Skene the signal, towards dawn, he takes me by the shoulders and takes me to the floor we stayed in the days before the Games.

"Wonderful job, wonderful job! You did amazing, Rhymer. Way more presentable than Fannia when she won _her_ Games!" Skene jokes with us. I still smile. "She was snarling the whole time."

Fannia gives Skene a warning look. "I didn't have such generous sponsors. And you know what I had to do in order to win. Kill the Baxwoll. There wasn't much I was to be happy about." We leave her alone.

"No, you really did. The people of the Capitol are probably talking nonstop about you! I've heard some of them where upset because you couldn't get a picture with them. But you were so busy! Your smile was lovely. No one could forget that. The president himself is very pleased with your composure." Winnow squeals and nags me with her words.

"Okay, okay!" I yell out. But it's playful. I'm just so glad to have made it out of the arena alive and well, not dead in a box. And to have my team here with me is amazing; they keep me laughing. Well, Skene and Winnow do. I never really did get along with Fannia.

"It's off to bed for you. Let the adults do all the talking. Rest for the final interview tomorrow. It's at two. Then we're going home!" Skene pats my arm reassuringly and nudges me to the staircase. I smile again, nod sleepily and head upstairs. But my sleepiness goes away the minute I make it to the hallway between my room and… and… and Lartius'. I stay paralyzed for a long time, dreading to even pass by his door. Even if it means not going to sleep, not going to my own room. I do my best not to cry. Skene catches up, as if sensing something, and mutters a soft 'oh' upon seeing me clutching the wall for support.

"It's okay. It's okay. Come on. You don't have to sleep here. Come on." He croons softly, getting me to move slowly and then quickly out of the place. He takes me to the sitting room and fluffs the pillows up before helping me lay down. "You're okay." He smiles weakly. I appreciate his effort to make me feel better. "Fannia and I will talk somewhere else. It's clear we can't let you go up there. But you're okay. You're okay."

"Thank you." I can't shake the queasiness away, but I do find it easier to sleep here.

I wake up several times, not necessarily screaming – more like in a cold sweat. At one point, I realize that Skene joins me, even if it's in the other couch. And he's shortly followed by Fannia. I'm so grateful for their company, I fall asleep crying. I guess you just never know the lengths people could go through to make you feel better. But then again, they have gone through the same thing as I have gone through, more or less. We all wake up at around the same time to eat breakfast. Fannia wakes up first, shrieking and swing her arms in the air, at her version of her ghosts. Skene's next, waking up crying, and pushes the Avox's hand away gently when offered. I wake up last, gasping for air, groping at my surroundings for a weapon, although there is none. I'd dreamed about Althea. When I realize I'm no longer in the arena, I take shaky breaths and flash a weak smile at Winnow; she is watching me sadly.

"We should go eat. We don't want you all to be pressured by the packed schedule ahead." Winnow tries to animate us all with her enthusiastic voice. I ignore that it cracks in the end.

Now that I'd passed the night with the most recent victors of our district, I consider the things I saw. Even though I was the last one to wake up, I saw a ghost of the terrors that haunt Skene passing across his face. And Fannia took time to calm down too. Do they never go away? It's not like I don't know what nightmares are. But I'm not willing to welcome in new ones. The original ones are enough. Does _it ever go away?_

"Yeah, we should all eat." Skene says while rubbing his eyes.

"Agreed." Fannia mumbles.

"Okay." I nod. Skene asks an Avox to bring me a variety of clothes in order to pick some and to avoid using my room. Then they all go away while I change. I know Pliny will choose something else for me, I just don't want to be found in the same clothes as yesterday.

Once we all finish breakfast, the prep team takes me by the hand and guides me to the sitting room once more. Skene must have explain the whole she's-avoiding-the-rooms situation before hand. He did finish eating before us by some minutes and left the table for a while to return with the team. They work on the makeup, the decorations and polishing of me once more. They speak with each other, but not with me. I'm too stressed out anyways to join the conversation.

"If you're done, I'll take it from here." When I hear Pliny say that, I open my eyes. He smiles at me. As the prep team is leaving, he puts his hand on my shoulder and pushes me softly. "Keep laying you, if you can. I'll let you know when I want you to move." I lean back slowly; even though we didn't get along, I did trust him to help my look good for all my appearances before the Games. I know I can trust him to do it once more.

As soon as he finishes putting the last touches of decorations, the filming crew and Caesar arrive. They all come with time to spare, and they all sound excited to film my interview. Caesar chatters idly with the crew before noticing me; upon doing so, he rushes over and makes small talk. Same as always, I glue a smile on my face and get prepared for the cameras. After this, it's time to go home.

"Are you ready to do this? Get comfortable. We're going to spend a great time together." Caesar says charmingly and with a smile.

"Of course." I grin and nod. "And I'm not nervous. Why should I be? It's not like you'll interview me in front of the entire country." I wink at him and sashay over to Pliny to verify my outfit. I can hear Caesar's still laughing. Pliny put me in a light yellow blouse and sleek black leggings that go past my ankles. Brown boots that reach halfway up my calves. Pliny lets my hair loose. As soon as he gives me clearance, I go back. I'm being called on by the crew that they're ready for me anyways. I'm ready. A member of the filming crew counts backwards.

"Hello! Welcome to yet another edition of the Hunger Games' victor's final interview! Before we get started, I would like to let you all know that I'm more than excited to hear about this year's winning tribute's experience in the Games and her inner thoughts. I hope you're as excited as I am!" Even without the audience – except for the ones in the room, of course – Caesar wears his professionalism like a glove. Perfectly. "Let's get started. First things first. Hello, Rhymer." I smile at him. "So tell me, when you were reaped, how did you take your parents' reaction?"

I ponder this. How am I supposed to have a funny response to this? "It was harsh at first, but then I was hoping they would be sensible enough to let me come. You know, because of my sister's Games, they would be more reluctant. But they did let me come, and… here I am, bothering you. And answering your boring questions." I chuckle.

"Yes, indeed!" Caesar laughs loudly and freely. "You've still got it!" After collecting himself from the laughter, he keeps going. "It's a good thing they did too. We like to have you here, bothering us." He smiles mockingly. "You let us know on your first interview that it was hard to become a Career. Then we saw you onscreen, telling the girl from District One, an ally of yours, that you had to train a lot to become like them. Could you tell us how you did it?"

"Well, besides eating food while watching recaps of other Games, I had to go through a fairly easy training regime. I came to the Training Center ready to learn. They didn't offer the food I expected, but you can't get everything in life. I mean, it was the food or the weapons. We got the weapons." I tell him. The people in the room laugh.

"Oh, we know you did more than that! We really want to hear about what you did in your _district_ to make yourself such a dangerous contestant. Tell us, come on, we'll keep your secret." He makes it sound as if he's spoiling me. I love it.

"Well, now you're just making me sound like a criminal. I don't like that. Come on, Caesar! I look like a criminal to you? Are you sure you can keep my secret safe?" Even I'm laughing, and Caesar is holding himself upright by putting his hands on his knees. His body language says that he gives up on me, I'm too much to handle. "Well, like I mentioned to Daniela, I used my father's mallets first. But that was mostly it. I actually got my determination from somewhere else, you know. My sister's death didn't make me want to train at the district. But when I made it to the Training Center gym, I felt like I owed it to her," and here I put a sad face. I can't constantly be funny. There will be questions that will require complete honesty. "I felt awful over my sister's death. And like I told Althea. I've made my parents proud." The corners of my mouth go up at the end, without me struggling to do so. I don't get too serious. It will ruin my angle. I have to appear to be in some level of ease.

"That sounds awful." Caesar reaches over and pats my cheek. "Well, this sure encourages other people to be prideful! And you certainly haven't cheated. That's right folks! We'll keep her secret. What do you say? That's definitely a yes." Caesar looks directly at the camera, expecting some sort of answer. He gets it from no one. We're the only ones allowed to talk.

"That solves that problem." I huff out, exasperated. "Caesar, back to me." He gives me a side look, grinning all over.

"Thank you for that answer. Let's get back to you, then. Based on what we saw during the Tribute Parade and in the Games themselves, how would you describe your relationship with your district partner?" I notice Caesar uses his hands a lot. It gives visual appeal. He's really good.

"Oh, that's boring," I say after some minutes. "You wouldn't want to hear about it. But… if you insist." I give him his look back. It appears as if this time, _I'm_ spoiling him. "We were in a cats and dogs relationship. We never got along well. The only time we did was when he was wearing those ridiculous shorts during the Parade. I laughed too much over it that Pliny was threatening to kill me _before_ the Games had even started. Can you believe that? As if I had no threats for the Games themselves, I was getting more. This is why you can never trust your stylist." I joke. "They can murder you for fashion." My sarcasm is palpable, and that just has Caesar laughing more.

"Someone needed to get some steam off! Just don't do it with me, it's not my fault." Nudging me playfully and smiling still, Caesar doesn't let my raptor fall. We're playing a game here, clearly. And here I was, thinking it was over.

"Well, that solves this morning's mystery."

"And what's that? Did something bad happen?"

"I did wake up moodier than usual. I had too much steam on me." I pull a careless face and more laughter ensues.

"You're spoiling us here. Okay, about your training score. Rules are rules, and I know you can't tell us what you did, exactly. But… What was your initial reaction to your score?"

"I was one scared girl." I flash Caesar a grin. "But then when you mentioned I got a ten, I was even more scared." I open my mouth as if surprised. "No. No. Really, I was actually very happy, and I couldn't believe I'd gotten such an amazing score. I was more like 'someone slap me, I'm asleep!' instead of bragging it in Lartius' face."

"Aha! I see." Caesar doesn't let me rest. "There was a moment when you rose up from the pedestal that we see you looking around the arena as you're rising. Then you smiled at the boy from Two. Where you pleased with the arena?"

"I definitely was. I started watching the arena from the moment I was able to. And I'd spent so much time outdoors, at the park near the district square, I felt I was home. The designed was very simple and easy to navigate. My favorite thing would be the hill. You know, the one with the Cornucopia. Because it was the only hill and the one where everyone could do a bit of exercise. A lot of the tributes where winded when running up that hill."

"You like it because it let you do exercise?" Caesar is clearly exasperated. "You didn't get enough exercise during your training days?"

"That wasn't exercise. That was practice!"

"I see, I see! That's how it works. Ha! You hear that? The arena's an exercise." He pauses long enough to give a laugh. "During your time in the arena, many of us noticed you switched weapons often. You seem to wield them all very well. Which one was your favorite and why?"

"They all proved to be my favorite, to be honest. It was a great experience to count myself lucky in being able to hold almost all the weapons in the Cornucopia during my Games. I picked up the knives first because I like swords but they are too big for me. And knives are just smaller versions of swords. I liked the axes because they proved to be double weapons. The blade was dangerous, of course, but the pick on the other side was pointy and it would hurt too! Then the trident. I have few words to describe how great it is. All I know is that it kept me alive. Hands down." I do what Caesar does. Use my hands. I know it will make me appear different; as if I'm more in control of the interview than he is, and that I'm enjoying it.

"Interesting concept. You not only show interest in the weapons themselves, but you also acknowledge they were your lifeline in the arena."

"Well, I can't take all the credit. I didn't kill tributes with only my hands, now did I?" I laugh and Caesar joins me again.

"No, of course you didn't. Moving to a more complex subject. I noticed, and I'm sure the crowd did too, that you got attached to some of your allies and you were troubled with their deaths. How did you attach yourself with them so quickly and how did each death affect you?"

Now, this is not fair. If I answer this, I'll break down crying. I give this question a lot of thought. "I'm not sure if it was clear, but the first one I got attached to was Valeria." I pause, gulping before I continue. "I got attached to her because she was young and reminded me of my sister. Plus, she would come to me all the time, when we were in the arena. She made me feel like I needed to protect her."

"Oh. We're getting serious." Caesar tries weakly. I give him a look that clearly says that it's his fault for asking me such a question. I mean, for the audience. No one forced him to. The look says that I'm answering to the best of my ability and not everything will be fun and games, for that matter.

"Yes, yes we are," nonetheless, I pull off a mocking tone. "Then she was killed. And that got me attached to Grandis. For one, he was the only boy in the alliance, and boys usually keep their heads cool in these things. And two, if he died, there was a huge possibility Rulapia would die too. On purpose. She loved her brother too much. And he loved her too much too. After that, it was only me and Daniela. And initially, I wanted to push her onto Althea because I had a greedy moment when I wanted to win desperately. But I got to know her more and that completely changed my mind. But she died too. It turns out that getting attached to them meant they were going to die." The last bit comes out sarcastically and Caesar is dazed by my response.

He seems to stay off in some other place for a while, that I have to call him back. "Hey, Caesar? If you don't mind, we're still filming." That makes the filming crew laugh and Caesar snaps back.

"What a powerful response. I think we're all crying here. I know I am." He takes a handkerchief out and passes it under his eyes. "This is beyond sad. I honestly have no words." I see a wordless Caesar sitting across from me – that's a first. I sit back on the chair I'm on. After he comes back, I make fun of him.

"I thought we were here for an interview, not to host a crying Caesar." I catch Skene and Fannia look at each other, worried. _Did I say something I wasn't supposed to say?_ Pliny's face is also laden with emotions I can't quite nail. Maybe my response made me sound cruel? I don't know.

"You're right. We're here for an interview, not a drama show." Right. "Let's get to it. A couple of more questions and we have to let you go, so… Several different sets of mutts were placed in the arena. The first were some plain birds with sharp beaks. I know those didn't present much of a problem. Everyone saw you were all capable to take them down easily. The second pair of mutts seemed to throw you off. And let's not even mention the unexpected third pair. How did each mutt make you react?"

"The first pair of mutts was about survival, right? Those beaks got most of us, but it wasn't about us dying if we didn't pay attention. Whereas the second mutts were more about sanity, mentality. And someone mentally unstable would lose it if they were unprepared for those, and they would die. The third pair was like the first, you know? The first ones triggered the 'I need to kill them because they're an obstacle'. They were a thing. The second pair made me want to make sure my family was alive and fine. I honestly thought I was being played with. Why would they be placed in the Games? Turns out I was right, you know?" I wrinkle my nose, as if the thought makes me disgusted. "If I wouldn't of have killed them earlier, they would have taken my wit away. I wouldn't be funny anymore." Disappointment coats my voice. I look around sadly then give Caesar shy eyes.

"That would have been disappointing indeed. Good thing you didn't lose it." Caesar pats my shoulder. "Did you have any special tokens from home?"

"Yes. I got a gift from my district. A bracelet. Unfortunately, you'll have to blame Pliny because I'm not wearing it at the moment. Also, I got a necklace from my mother. But again, it's Pliny's fault I have nothing on me. And you saw in the arena; Valeria's gift for me. It's worth the same as any of the other two. I appreciate all those tokens."

"Good, good. Too bad we can't see them, folks. Pliny, we need to get to some serious talking with you, sir. And now, final question. Final question!" Caesar is injecting enthusiasm back into his voice. He'll be back to his old self after this dreadful interview. Then we can all go home and pretend half of these answers where never given, and that half of these questions were never asked, that no one got hurt, and that no one ended up emotionally unstable. We can forget the scars, the blood, and the deaths. We can pretend we're alright, and that we're moving on.

"I'm ready for you. Ask me the question." We both try to regain the ease, the thing that allowed us to exchange words freely, but we're cracking at the seams. Hopefully nothing is seen on camera. Caesar is still doing his best to not render himself wordless, to not make my interview so dark. I know that they'll edit out things they don't like, but they will want to keep everything as original as possible.

"Yes, I can see your excitement for the question. Is it because you're squeamish to go home? Are you tired of the Capitol? And that's not the final question!"

"Of course it's not. But you said it was the final question! I'll answer it anyway." Shoving him playfully, I pause and look directly at him. "If you were far away from home, wouldn't you want to go back? I know that I'm asking you to imagine something that's impossible. But for one second. Just think about it. And you want to go back home. So yes, I'm asking you to hurry up with your questions because despite the great hospitality of the Capitol, I want to see my parents again." The last bit is full of frustration. But I wink at him and he knows I'm just messing around.

"This has certainly been a long journey for, young lady, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. That wasn't the last question, right?"

"No. No." Caesar chuckles. "But this one is."

"Yes?"

"About Althea's death. Why didn't you kill her properly?"

"Because I thought I'd killed her. She faked it. She stopped breathing for a while. That's why it came as a shock that no cannon had gone off and that she still wanted to win by breaking into the tube. Then her death…" I run my hands though my hair, slightly musing it but not caring. "I saw her burn. If there is something I will hate from this whole experience, it would be that. I know that I saw some of the others die too. But seeing someone _burn_ to death? That's different." Finishing lamely, I look down for the first time.

"Well. That pretty much sums it up. That's a wrap. Oh! One final thing."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah?"

"Don't look so happy about it." Caesar says resentfully. "Please give us a message for your district." He lifts his arm, smiling now, inviting me to look at the cameras again and say something.

"Okay." I prop myself higher in my chair and then look at the camera with a smile. "Get ready to celebrate because I'm coming home!" I squeal. Waving and smiling before I get up, the camera does a final cut and then Caesar calls it off and I'm free to go. Good. Finally.

Skene, and everyone else including Fannia, help me get ready in order to leave. Skene asks if I might have left something important in my room, like a necklace or a ring or anything, because he's going to send an Avox to go get them for me. "Yes, I did. All my tokens from the arena. The most important one is the one from my mother. I'll go them myself, don't worry."

"You don't have to force yourself into this, Rhymer."

"I know. I just have to go. It not like I don't trust the Avox, but... I don't trust the Avox."

"I'll go with you."

"Thanks, Skene."

Once everything is collected, I see Pliny and surprise myself by hugging him when he offers me his hand. "Okay…" I sense doubt in Pliny's voice.

"Thank you too. For everything." I let go.

"What do you mean?"

"The dresses, the hairstyles, the shoes. Everything. Thank you." He nods, prideful. I grin at him, slowly backing up. Then he turns to leave. "And Pliny?" He stops. "See you in a couple of months." He nods again and leaves with Berwin. Berwin and I only exchange smiles because she's already walking away.

We all pile into a car. That is, Skene, Fannia, Winnow and I. The windows are dark, so even though we pass a slightly crowded street, no one can see inside much. I rest my head on Skene's shoulder and sigh. He half carries, half drags me to the train and deposits me in my car, all by myself. The train moves out immediately, and the moment we're out of the tunnel, I let out a shaky breath and begin to loosen up all the tense muscles in my body. I'll have a few months at home, all on my own. Then the Victory Tour will come and drag me here again and then back in the Games after mere months from the Tour and I'll have to mentor a kid every year until another girl from the district wins. I'll have to make the most out of those months. A knock at my door makes me get up, and I notice I'm more relaxed, more like my old self, how I was before Ashby left. The Games change you. A knock on the door rattles me to reality.

"We're to eat dinner and then watch a replay of your interview. Afterwards you can rest all you like." Fannia tells me once I open the door.

"Alright." I follow her out, slightly confused as to why she would come tell me. She generally avoided me during our time at the Capitol and I did the same. We didn't get along. And even when Skene tried to get us to do so, we just couldn't. For one, we both ignored Skene whenever he asked us. And the other... Lartius. We'd both chosen who we were going to keep company with. The minute Lartius stepped off the chariot after the Parade, she embraced him. Sided with him. I only had Skene. I guess she's talking to me now. Could be because I'm going to give her a free pass for the rest of her life. No more mentoring. It could be her way of saying thanks. That she'll be my friend. Or to not stretch it so much; that she's talking to me. In the dining car, Skene pats the chair next to him for me to sit down in. We make small conversation as we eat, but Fannia is the one that sounds the most excited the whole time. I really wonder what happened to her. When we're done, we head to the television car and watch the replay with the occasional comment every now and then.

"Goodnight. I'll let the adults do all the talking. Wake me up before we arrive? Thanks." I say over my shoulder once it's over, as I'm leaving.

"Goodnight." Winnow and Fannia say. I stop at the door and pretend to wait for Skene to give me an answer. Winnow laughs.

"Goodnight, Rhymer." He gives me a sarcastic pause before going on. "We'll do the talking. And did you think we'd let you sleep it off? No way! Victors have privileges, but don't exaggerate. Or get your hopes up." Smirking, he shoves me out of the car playfully and I go to my own.

I sleep for a couple of hours. I wake up later on my own, some while before Skene comes for me. He finds me fresh out of the shower, staring out of the window of my car, desperately searching for any signs that might show we're nearing the district. My district, my home.

"Don't let anxiety get the best of you, Rhymer. We're almost there. Seems you beat me to waking you up." Skene smiles at me. "Since you're already up, let's go over what you're going to have to do once we arrive at our train station. Come on."

"I know what I have to do. I have to smile and wave. And then the Capitol reporters will be there. And I'll be interview over and over and _over_ again. I know how this works. Growing up seeing all of this is bound to stick to your head; shouldn't it? Besides, what's there to do?" My voice is full of pain. I would have wanted this for my sister, for her to come back. Skene takes me face in his hands and gives my forehead a light kiss.

"I know. I was just hoping to get you to relax and not be so solemn. You made it out. You're going to see your parents. And you should be happy. I know it's asking for too much. But you can't go on acting for the cameras all the time. You've got to rebuild yourself something; or at least try to do it. Don't dwell in the past so much. And I hate to bring this up. So close to home. I try to make it true, you know." He pauses to see my reaction. His hands still hold my face. "Your sister... She'd glad you're alive. And you're still here for your parents. So keep your head up, alright? And try to make it real. Don't act it out. For the sake of your parents, your sister. You can try it. You can _do_ it."

He drops his hands from the sides of my face. I stay silent. I walk to the window again, leaning on my elbow. Since he's already said what was troubling him, I can hear him leaving. "Hey, Skene. Thanks for believing. And thanks again for everything." I turn to him and that's when I begin to cry. The tears come, and they seems to worry Skene. Maybe I've finally lost it. But it's not that. It's all the things I've been keeping at bay. Like the anger of losing my allies, the confusion of being so popular in the Capitol despite all I did to become a winner, the joy of being alive, the fear of all the things our leaders do to us, or simply make us go through. It took too long to come out, and it's better that it is now. How horrible would to be to be filmed crying as I arrive at the station? I would be beyond embarrassed.

"Calm down. And I know you're thankful. You don't have to keep telling me. You know I'm your friend. And I'm so glad you trust me as I trust you. So let's get those useless tears off your face and get ready to get you home." Giving each other watery grins, we go out of the car once I've washed my face and dried it off. Winnow and Fannia catch up to us on the first car. The district's train station is looming in front of us, full of cameramen and district people. Skene puts his hand on my left shoulder and Fannia on the right. Winnow tells me to lift my head and smile; I can feel the train stopping. The door of the train car opens and the blinding lights from all those cameras dazzle me slightly. Skene, Fannia and I all take a step forward – we're happy to be home.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Final chapter for today. I hope you guys enjoy the other two. Until next Tuesday! ************************************Please don't forget to review. I promise I'll read them all. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

22 - In the Victor's Village

My homecoming was full of tears from my parents and family friends. I got a few resentful looks from the Baxwolls, but it was Rozzi – Lartius' young brother – who convinced his parents to not be so cruel. That it wasn't my fault, that we weren't even allies in the arena. If only he knew. The reporters we're all friendly, asking all sorts of questions.

"How do you feel now that you're home?"

"I feel warm and cozy. It's my home." Laughter rose up all around me and the reporter thanked me for my answer.

"Some words for your parents."

"Unpack my bags, I'm back!" Skene, who's sitting next to me, laughs loudly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lockhearst, are you proud of your daughter?"

"I'm just so glad she's home." That was all my mother could get out before she burst into tears.

"Absolutely." My father said before he started comforting my mother.

"I don't get my humor from them, as you can see." I say before the cameras overwhelm my mother, and that comment makes my dad give a small chuckle while my mom shakes her head and hides her face behind a tissue. More questions followed after, but I asked the crews to let my parents go through before they resumed their attacking of me. "They're very tired. More than me." That just made everyone laugh harder and I got a playful punch from Skene.

After about a month, less and less reporters came to me until it was obvious I was beyond boring from being interview for so long. In the eyes of the districts, I most certainly was. The Capitol was another story. Winnow would call me every weekend to tell all about the people of the Capitol and what was being said about me. I did my best to sound like I cared.

When everything had been said and done, I'd settled down on my victor's house. I'd begged my parents to come and live with me, but they refused without a second thought. My new house in the Victor's Village is bigger than my old one, but not by much. We weren't exactly rich, but we didn't haggle like the dregs at the edges of the district. Those are poor by option. They could be working, but refuse to do it because they're lazy. Have been so used to street life their entire lives. They stare at me every single time I walk pass them.

My home feels empty, but warm and inviting nonetheless. Skene's house is right in between Fannia's and mine, which is a good thing. The rest of the houses are occupied by the various victors of our district. Amber Stoll, the most popular in the district, is at the edge of the Village; she only comes out on Sundays. Celo Tum gets along with everyone except Surge. Surge Dymond is isolated like Amber, but he never comes out. We wonder if he's alive sometimes. Several houses are left empty.

Even when the throng of Capitol reporters has been long gone, I get many people of the district, especially the young kids, come to me and ask me to talk of the Capitol and my experience in the arena. I don't tell them more than what they've already seen and hear from all the interviews, but they're all willing to listen to what I have to say, regardless of me appearing reluctant to speak about it.

I finally get my break some three months after my return from the arena. It's a weekend, so obviously, Winnow calls. Once I hang up the phone, the groundkeeper, a girl younger than I named Finch, knocks on my door in order to hand me all my letters. "Thanks. Do you want to come in?" I ask her while holding the door open. She usually stays out, but as no one has come to bothered me for anything, I'll stay put. It doesn't mean I have to do it alone. She nods and comes in. "You want something to eat?" She shakes her head no. "To drink? I've got water, juice, milk. You name it, I have it. I've got to give you something. Come on."

"Fine," She pauses, shy. I realize this is the first time I talk to someone normally. Not out of curiosity from the person or respect for the person. Just normal talk. "I want water."

"Oh, come on. At least take juice."

"No, it's fine."

"Okay. Bread, cookies, eggs, a slice of cake, cold stew, some chicken. Eat something. I saw some of the vising kids a week ago rip one of the flower beds and you looked upset. Seems like you love to work with flowers." I make small talk with her as I pull things out of the refrigerator and the cupboard. "You shouldn't work too hard." I look at her, waiting for an answer, but she stays silent, only watching me do all the things. "Is something wrong? And you still haven't answered my other question." I stop moving and go over to the table and sit opposite her, arms crossed. Being this close to her, I see she has a fox like face. Her eyes are sly, but I know she's trustworthy. She hasn't given me trouble so far, and I have given her no reasons to betray or do something against me. Her hair is a bright red, and her high arcing eyebrows add to the whole sly fox look she has. She doesn't look like much of anything, except perhaps a thief. I did ask her to get me something for me once and she made a story about the shop owner giving her the things for free because she explained it was for a victor and she only gave me back half the money. But it was only once.

"No, nothing's wrong. And I already ate. Seriously, don't waste anything on me. I'm just here for the grounds. My father needs the money I make from you. I help him feed the kids. Mom died three weeks ago. But it's alright. I do work hard on the flowers, don't I? Thanks for the water, I'll get back to work." After draining her glass, she gets up and pulls the door open.

"Finch, wait."

"Yeah?"

"I know you'll probably hate me for asking this… But could you please stay here and keep me company? I'll pay you extra if you do." That makes her close the door and take a seat on the living room while I take the letters I'd left on the table and make my way to the couch. Skene has left me to my own devices anyways. "I don't have many friends, and the few that I do have, I don't see much. I need company. I hope you don't mind." I open the first letter. It's one I'll get every month for the rest of my life. How much I'll get paid for winning the Games. I don't pay attention to it much. The second letter is from a class of children from the Capitol, telling me they look up to me for being so brave in the Games; I notice one of them mentions they have a twin sibling. The final letter is from Winnow. As if I need more methods of communication with her. Can't she comfort herself with the phone? It turns out to be a list. It says I have to pick a talent. A quick glance shows painting and cooking and singing and designing and playing of instruments. I'll worry about this later.

"I don't mind at all. In fact, I wanted to ask you something. I didn't know how I'd approach you on this. I just wanted to know..." She seems to struggle to get the words out. "How you did it."

Oh, great. Here we go. This is how everyone starts their conversation with me. 'How did you do it? Survived in the arena? Fight the mutts? Killed the tributes?' And I'd thought I could have a normal conversation with someone. That's part of the question. "Oh. Well." I pause. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you manage to get over your sister's death?"

"Excuse me. What?" That took an unexpected turn. Today's been confusing. No curious kids, chatting with my groundkeeper and offering her food.

"You heard me."

"No, I did. It's just... It's been a long time since I've spoken about my sister. Like, not including television. I don't like to talk about her much, you know. In a way, I haven't gotten over her death. I could say that what made me stop crying over her death would be that no matter how many tears I'd shed, she'd never come back. And that it was pointless. That's a reason why I wanted to go to the Games. I wanted to forget about her. They have helped. But not in the way I wanted them too. It's a mix, more than anything, and I'm not telling you going into the Games is a solution, because it's not. I'm terrified of who I'll have to mentor in the coming Games, you know? Every single child in this district has a chance of going with me on the Tribute Train next year. Don't use the Games as a solution for a depression or problem, Finch. I know I'll never get over my sister's death, not really. But I do try to live better, how she would have wanted me to."

Her sly eyes register a bit of frustration and sadness, but I only catch a glimpse of it. "Oh. I just thought…"

"But it gets better. Don't get me wrong. It'll just take time."

"Right. Well, thanks for the talk."

"No, thank you for the company. And you're welcome to come speak to me whenever you want. Oh! Your money!" I put a small pouch in her hand and close her fingers. I nod at her, and once again, her sly look is gone, replaced by something beyond joy, gratitude, appreciation. She leaves me standing on the threshold of the front door, while she goes back to her flowers.

A week later shows yet another letter from Winnow, and this time it demands to know what I chose as a talent. I respond that same day, telling her I'm going to play the piano. I also tell her I only want to talk on the phone because I don't want to waste too much paper and ink when I could be talking to her and be saving it. She calls me three days later, a Sunday, to tell me it's absurd. There are plenty of things at our disposal. And we should use them.

The next day, a Monday, has me walking around the district, as I have nothing to do. The outside of the candy shop is full of a little group of kids – too young for school – crowding around the display window. Once one of them notices me and tells the others; they all fall silent until I pass. An idea comes to me. I go inside, and the shop owner, Mr. Kane, greets me with a small grimace. Not many people of the district hate me, but they're there. I ask for blue sugar drops and chocolate squares and honey triangles and yellow lollipops, a pound each. He charges me more than he does with anyone else, but I pay him and leave with a grin. The kids are still outside, noses glued to the window. "Does anyone want some candy?" They all run up to me, their little eyes shining and their little fingers closing gladly around the sweets I give them. I know most of their parents, and they know me. This won't get them in trouble. I'm left with a whole pound of the sugar drops, which they apparently don't like but I do, half a bag of honey triangles, and a third of both the lollipops and the chocolate. I wave them goodbye and they all say thanks as they suck on the candy and then their fingers. Then, I stop for a short visit to my parents' house. The only one there is my mother. Her shift at the power plant will start later. She sets down a bowl of steaming soup and some bread before I can object and sticks a spoon in my hand and orders me to eat. I clean the bowl in less than ten minutes. My mother's huge smile tells me she's satisfied. "Hey, do you want some candy?" I don't tell her why I got it – she doesn't question me either – and she says no until she sees the squares. I'm left with the drops, the triangles and the lollipops.

When I'm home, I know I have a several months left before the Victory Tour kicks off. I leave the triangles and lollipops with a note to Finch. Those are for her siblings. I didn't ask her how many she had, but I bet they'll like the candy. The blue sugar drops, I set half on the cupboard, next to an emergency kit in case the lights go out. The other half is for Skene. I put my green sweater back on and head over to his house. I have a lot of things I need to talk to him about. I have to knock several times before he answers.

"Rhymer, it's not even eleven." He groans.

"I woke up early today, sorry. And since I spend all day outside, I didn't really keep up with the time." I scratch the back of my head as I finish my sentence. He rubs his eyes and we stand awkwardly for several seconds. I clear my throat. "I brought you candy." Clutching the bag with both hands, he finally moves away from the door and I walk in.

"What are you here for?"

"You're so glad to see me."

"People don't come to me before twelve."

"I've noticed. Anyways, down to business. How are we going to do this whole Victory Tour thing? You know we only have three months before it starts, right?"

"I do, I do know. But don't you feel like you're getting a bit ahead of yourself? We still have, say, two months and some weeks. We could go over this two weeks before your tour starts, not now." He mumbles as he sprawls himself on the couch. I go to him and poke him, but he only covers himself and slaps my hand away.

"Ow! I was just saying. If you want to wing it, just tell me."

"We're not going to wing it, Rhymer. But let me rest, for my own sake, kid!"

"Alright, alright. I'll go work on my talent, then."

"Good for you."

He's in a mood. I leave him to drag his blanket to his bed on the second floor and leave the drops on his table. I make my way back to the shops, leaving the Victor's Village behind me in minutes. I'd waved at Celo on my way out. Upon entering the furniture store, John Rumble, the son of the owner of the store, stops what he's doing and rushes to my aid. "Hello, Ms. Lockhearst, how may we help you?"

"Don't be so formal. It makes me feel old." Jokingly, I make my way to the wall displaying wood panels and blocks and hear some laughs from deep in the store. I guess both Mr. and Mrs. Rumble are here.

"Alright, I won't."

I pick up several pieces of wood from all over the store. I ask if they paint the furniture they build and John says yes. All I have to do is pick a color. Once I pick mahogany, I ask the Rumbles to build me a piano. They say it will take about a two weeks because they'll do a fast order but I tell them that I want them to treat me like everyone else, and after some persuasion, they tell me I'll get it in a month. I smile then and ask if they know the owner of the craft store across the block. Mr. Rumble, a man on his late thirties, tells John to drop me off at his brother's store. "Thanks for your help," I set some coins down and John follows me out the door. "I'll take it from here."

"It's no trouble, really."

"Thank you." I give him a small, shy grin and he smiles too. He takes the lead crossed the block then three shops over, opens the door for me. He waits for me to do all my shopping there and then helps me with all my paints and brushes and canvases. I know I told Willow I'd play the piano, but something about painting is intriguing. John sets the things in my living room and I offer him something to drink and something to eat. He only takes apple juice and cookies. I give him some coins before he leaves but he doesn't take them. He leaves them on the table and I protest but he doesn't hear another word and goes back to his family's shop. I stand in the middle of my kitchen, feeling confused. An intense heat crawls across my face and I feel small and childish. I can't go around thinking I'm superior to everybody, because I'm not. I just learned that the hard way, sadly. Shaking away all the weird feelings rolling around inside of me, I take a blank canvas, an easel, some brushes and a box of paints. I sit right outside my house and bring out my stool and set myself to paint. I still have to wait a month for the piano. Might as well occupy myself with something.

"What are you doing?" Celo comes up behind me and scares me.

"Oh! It's you. I thought you were something."

"Something?"

"Mutt."

A tight silence follows "Oh. It's alright. As long as we don't hit each other, we're good." Celo mumbles after some tense seconds.

"Hmm. Well, I'm painting. Why?" He doesn't answer. To avoid more silence, I ask him something. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Oh, you know. Just," he stops to look over his shoulder. "Walking." He winks. "My talent requires a lot of that, so..."

I go along. "Of course," nodding as if I understand, I watch him walk away. "I get it."

"Good luck on your upcoming Tour."

"Yeah! Any advice?"

"Have fun."

Once he's gone, I go back to painting. But, he must have told the other victors and the district, because after some minutes, I begin to feel the presence of others around me. It starts out small, but when I feel that more than three people are around me, I begin to get on edge, losing concentration. I clear my throat to let everyone know I'm uncomfortable, but they ignore it. _Fine, then._ I'll ignore you too. When the talking begins, I lose it.

"I would rather all of you just leave me alone so I may work in silence and peace." That makes them quiet down, but most of them stay, only a few leave.

After that, I only paint indoors. Since I suffer from insomnia, and I barely sleep, I witness the sunrise one Monday. The purples and reds tainting the sky fascinate me. I don't paint the first sunrise I see, but that gives me the idea to paint the rest. I paint them only on Mondays. And every Friday, I paint whatever I'm about to eat. Cookies, fruits, meat, soup, water, milk, and just about anything else that's about to cross my lips. By the end of two months, I have about eight sunrises and many plates of food. I only let Skene see the paintings. Three weeks before my tour, some of the other victor's demand to see them. I put my foot down and say no.

When my piano arrives, I pay the rest and Mr. Rumble stays to hear my opinion. "It's more perfect. Thank you very much." He leaves with a shy smile and surprises me when he comes back in, a small yet elegant stool cradled in his arms. He looks at it, all prideful, before handing it to me. He holds it dearly, as if it were something precious, which it is. Once it's in my hands, I pass shaking fingers across the wood. A single tear splashes across the beautiful, radiant surface before I set the stool in front of the piano and I hug Mr. Rumble. "Thank you. This is perfect. I cannot thank you enough. I'll pay you more."

"No. Don't. This is a gift for our victor. From us. Please accept it. You already paid for what you asked for." Mr. Rumble smiles. As an afterthought, he adds, "John did it himself." Mr. Rumble is leaving and I flush. I walk back to the piano, and above it is a mirror. Various shades of red and pink are splashed all over my skin. I rub my cheeks to make it disappear. It takes me two months to compose a song. I have fun.

Exactly one week before the Tour begins, Skene takes me in for a talk. Preps, really. "All you have to do is smile, wave, and then read some stuff off from a card, add a little of you'd like, and then smile and wave again. If you had any allies within the district you're visiting, you can always say something about them. It's a tradition thing but you don't have to. Oh, they'll give you flowers of some kind and some plaques, make sure you always give thanks for receiving them. We'll start with District Twelve and work backwards, skipping our district. It will be after the celebration in the Capitol that we'll celebrate here. You got that? I'll be the only one going, as Fannia wasn't you mentor. But Winnow and Pliny will be there too. The Capitol reporters will be here in a week, and before we set off, they'll film your talent. And one more thing. One district per day. Try to seem pleased." With all of that fresh in my mind, I go back to my own house and set down to eat some of the sugar drops I bought two days ago.

I wake up at seven in the morning the day before the Tour starts because my nightmares are too grotesque. It's not like I don't have nightmares every day. Most of the time, I wake up tangled in my sheets, on the floor. I do my best to not fall asleep, but after days of not sleeping at all, I end up sprawled just about everywhere. But now that I'm going back to the Capitol, it seems my body and my mind don't want to go back. The closer it comes to going back to the Capitol, the more frantic my mind gets. That's why I don't even bother to go back to sleep that day I wake up early. I just get up and paint. But not the usual mutts chasing me, or my allies screaming for help as I watch, helpless. I paint the dream.

I start out with dark hues. Adding light every now and then, I spend most of the morning painting. By the time I'm done, my hands are stained, as are my clothes. I get up to stretch my legs and my head over to the bathroom to clean up. I scream once I look at the mirror. It's not my face, but at the same time, it is my face. I have no eyes, yet I'm seeing, and blood falls everywhere. My hands are glued to the sink, and hard as I try to pull away, I don't budge. My hair is falling quickly, going up in smoke, and I can't stop looking at my reflection. I'm dying in front of my own eyes. The image turns darker and darker until the only thing I'm able to make out is a dash of pink. _Althea._ I'm afraid to blink, but my eyes are watering. When I finally do blink, it's gone. I'm back to my normal reflection. No blood, no holes, no black spots; no more hallucinations. I touch the mirror with shaking fingers.

_Keep your head together, come on._ I wash my face and brush my teeth with trembling hands and get startled when there's a faint knock coming from downstairs. _At this hour?_ I change out of my sleeping clothes and stop when I see my painting. A charred Althea. A slightly less disturbing version of what I saw in the mirror. Well, that's good. Another knock, much louder and rapid than the first, pulls me from my stupor yet again.

"Skene? You're never up before twelve. What are you doing up this early?" My voice resorts to sarcasm in the end.

"I heard your scream. I bet the rest of the victors did too." He uses sarcasm too. We're both terrified out of our minds. The alternative is to mope around. I'd rather laugh.

"And you came for me? Am I that important?"

"No, but I'm a concerned neighbor and citizen of this district, therefore, I think I'm doing my duty by caring for my neighbors." A high arching eyebrow gives him away. I can't take it. I give out a raggedy laugh. He struggles to keep a straight face, then fails several seconds after. I'm still laughing, more realistic and strongly, as I invite him inside and head for the living room. Once inside, his face turns somber.

"What?"

"You can't sleep now, can you?"

"No." I pause, rumpling my eyebrows. "Althea haunts me now, you know." My tone is matter of fact. The sun is bright, the power plant is closed on Sundays and I have post-traumatic stress disorder. "How? Am I obvious?"

"No." Now he pauses. A shadow crosses his face, making him look bleaker than before; if that's possible. "Let's just say that I know."

"Oh."

"Get ready for tomorrow. I'll send my groundkeeper to help you. You'll get things done faster with two people helping you out."

"Thank you." He gets up and makes it to the door before I stop him. "Wait! Skene, I need to show you something." I need to show someone the painting. I feel like I do.

"Sure." When I wring my hands together and don't make an effort to move, Skene closes the door and takes my shoulders. "Are you okay?" I look down. "Does this have to do with the something you want to show me?" I nod slowly. I seem to be at a loss for words. Suddenly, showing Skene my painting doesn't seem like a good idea. On the contrary, now it could result in embarrassment. "Okay. You don't have to talk but you can nod or shake your head. You okay with that?" I nod again. "Where's the thing you want to show me? Outside or here?" I'm about to shrug when he covers my mouth and responds, "Never mind that. It's in here, right?" I nod again. He lowers his hand. "Okay. Kitchen?" A shake. "No? No. Um. Behind one of these sofas?" Another shake. Upstairs?" Nod. "Bathroom?"

"No, Skene."

"You can talk!" He tells me playfully. It makes me feel less uneasy but I still feel a pinch in my stomach. I have to tell him. I spiked his curiosity. It's not like me to just get him curious and then leave him hanging.

"Yes, I can." I give him a small, sincere smile before taking him upstairs. "It's in my room."

"Is this how you'll explain why your face is covered with paint, as are your hands?"

"Yeah. Come on." I stop him before I open the door to my room. "Try not to be horrified by it, okay? Although, if I'm frank with you, I'm horrified myself."

"Terrified of your own painting? Is it that bad? This is probably why you didn't want to show it to me." He tries to joke. When he sees my strained smile, he shrinks. "Oh. Let's have a look then."

I hesitate, but I know I'll have to open the door eventually. I take a deep breath and open the door silently. I step aside and look away as Skene's eyes hunt for the painting. I know he's found it when his breath catches. "You pained _this_?" His voice is raw at the edges, and I can hear his feeble attempt to keep himself cool. I look at him. His face is broken. I wonder how mine is. I nod slowly, terrified. "Calm down. This is not bad, but it's not good either. If people find out you're like this, the Capitol will interfere. We _do not_ want the Capitol to find out. They'll treat you like a lab experiment and poke you until you're not flawed." Oh. His voice implies something bad and nasty reserved just for me if I were to present myself as someone crazy or deranged. "Let's just clean you up. Come on. We'll talk about this after your Tour. You'll be better and much calmer. Come on." He pushes me to the bathroom and closes the door so that I can shower calmly.

I ponder what he told me. _What excuse do I make up if he asks about why I screamed?_ I don't know. I know that telling him what I saw in the mirror is now completely out of the question. I can hear him moving outside. He's close to the door, in case I need anything. Once I step out of the tub, I completely avoid the mirror. The paint stains are down the drain and I do my best to dry my damp hair before getting back to Skene.

"How's the piano playing going? I heard some notes the other day." He makes small talk, and I see him shiver, although my house isn't cold.

"It's good. Want to hear some?"

"Alright, hit me."

The next day arrives slowly. For one, I don't sleep all night. The darkness has me hallucinating monsters and dead people. Closing my eyes means I see Valeria and Daniela and the others screaming at me to help them. Then saying it's my fault they're dead. Keeping my eyes open helps, but barely. The sun climbs the sky painfully slow and I can't wait for a reasonable time to be able to get up. My dark blue clock declares fifteen minutes until seven. I decide to call that the beginning of my day. Tiptoeing to the bathroom in order to brush my teeth and take a quick shower, I start moving about. Sitting still won't help. I learned that the hard way. At what I estimate to be nine in the morning, I hear a car approach. A few doors slam. The next thing I know Winnow, my prep team and Pliny burst into the house. I'm taken to my room by the prep, but not before Winnow sneaks a kiss on my check. I don't see anyone but the prep time in the next few hours. They chatter excitedly as they poke, yank, powder, and decorate me. My nails are painted a soft blue and a glittery lotion is spread all over my arms. They barely touch my hair. Nevra and Perla are the ones working the hardest. Fir puts my hair into a braid that forms a crown. No curls this time. They stop talking when Pliny walks in. He then shoos them away to put the finishing touches.

"It's good to see you." It sounds like a question but I mean it nonetheless.

Pliny smiles. "You too. Lift your chin up for me?" I oblige and we're done within a matter of minutes. Before I can ask him why my hands and arms are the most decorated he tells me. "Since you'll be playing the piano, the most the audience will see of you is your hands and arms. Your face will pop up eventually, but it will mostly be your hands and arms. Now, come on, Winnow can't stop complaining that we'll be late." He immediately hands me a soft grey cotton tunic and black pants. The flats he puts me in are a dark yellow, but I don't complain. I'm not the stylist here.

Winnow seems to breathe easily when she sees I'm on the move. A quick glance at the clock above the kitchen counter tells me it's almost one. We're not late. The film crew rushes in and I fly to the piano. We have to hurry nonetheless. I don't mess up my song, but it does sound rushed. The filming crew and I groan when the director says we must do it _all over again_. "Can't you just slow it down later, with all that technology in the Capitol?" I get a look of disbelief and anger from the director and I simply turn around and get ready to play the song again. When the director gives me the signal, I start again. A soft, sweet melody fills the room, at the correct pace and rhythm; Winnow and Skene sneak in to see me play and their faces are beyond amazed. As I finish, the director and everyone in the room looks happy and at peace. "Are we done now?" I sass. The filming crew laughs and that gives the director no option but to laugh himself. They throw me out of the room to do a few filming on the room décor and then they ask me to say something about how I was inspired for the song so they can add it to the whole thing. They tell me to forget it when I reply that I don't know.

Winnow takes me by the shoulders and guides me to the door. Finch comes to say goodbye and then puts my necklace on. The one with the ring on it. I'd intended to give it back to my mother, but it always slipped my mind. Now I was going to wear it for a while, along with Valeria's bracelet. I cleaned it a while ago and it doesn't look new but it's not covered in blood anymore. I also have Skene's bracelet. It's good luck. I feel the ring resting on my chest and it feels like my parents will make this Tour with me. It makes me feel better, like I'm not alone. Pliny gives me a short mustard yellow coat that has a belt along the middle. It's not too cold outside, so no one buttons it up. Winnow tells me to get ready to smile. The corners of my mouth lift on their own, automatically. The door opens. I am _not_ ready.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: It's Tuesday! Hello there, amazing person who takes their time to read my story. I love you for sticking with me this far. How do you feel about this story, huh? Is it good I'm picking up the pace? ****************************************Please don't forget to review and tell me. I promise I'll read them all. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

23 - The Victory Tour Kicks Off

The first thing I see are cameras. I grin and lift my arm to wave hello. I descend the small stairs to the ground and I know I'm followed by Pliny, Winnow, Skene and the preps. I wish the cameras would focus on them and not me. But it is _my_ Victory Tour, so I'm in the spotlight. We all pile into a car and head to the train station. There, we wave even more, but the district is mostly concentrated on me. My parents are near the front, and I wave more enthusiastically at them. My mother covers her tears and my father wears a proud smile. We're back inside the train and it takes off, with a reluctant me inside and I know that I'll be away for at least a week. From what Skene tells me, some districts are spread out, but the train is high speed. It shouldn't present a problem. I have twelve districts to tour. Plus the Capitol. Away for a week and a half, then. I feel Skene walking me to the dining room and we have a nice meal that I can barely make out later. I get extremely sleepy afterwards and Skene has no other alternative but to drag me to my room.

"Thanks." I mumble after he leaves me at the edge of my bed.

"No problem, Rhymer. Sleep well."

I don't even consider changing. The tunic is too soft and the pants are comfortable. The coat disappeared around dinner time, so it's somewhere in the train. I fall into a deep slumber that is not interrupted with pleasant dreams or terrifying nightmares. I wake up the next day to a Capitol servant asking what I want for breakfast. I nod or shake my head when he poses questions. He leaves with a low chuckle and I change into a plain white shirt and keep the pants. A sturdy pair of long black boots catches my eye the moment I open the shoe closet. They look used, but I guess that's how they're supposed to look, because I know everything is new, just for me, ready to be put on. I waddle through the train, I never did get used to the fast movement, until I reach the dining room. I meet Winnow and Skene there. The preps and Pliny still sleep.

"Hello." I rasp out. I quickly cover my mouth and struggle to clear my throat.

"Hello." Skene grins.

"Hello." Winnow chirps. A small silence follows.

"Did you sleep well?" Skene goes on before the silence stretches on for too long.

"Absolutely." I nod. I take a seat across from him and an Avox immediately sets my breakfast down. The Capitol attendant that asked me what I wanted for breakfast earlier appears and goes from looking worried to looking relieved. He must have thought I wanted breakfast in bed. I give him a thumbs up and he chuckles again as he leaves. The Avox stays behind to serve us. "So, who's first, Skene?"

"In what?"

"Districts."

"We went over this last week! And two days ago!" He says, slightly exasperated.

"I know, but I just want to make sure."

"Fine, fine, fine." He rumbles.

"Twelve." Winnow tells me while staring pointedly at Skene.

"What?" He asks, incredulous.

"You don't have to be rude." She pipes.

"Relax. You don't have to fight. It's alright." Calming both myself and the other two. "How does Twelve look like?' I ask a little too curiously.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Which will be?" I eat as he tells me things.

"In a couple of hours. It's a good thing you woke up early. A few tips. Try to look excited. The people there don't really look well. Most of them look grim, because of their work in the mines, and all. But show some respect. They are a small district but prideful. You'll be able to tell so by looking at them in the eye. The few people who do have money will be the first thing you'll see when you arrive. Most of the poor resemble each other because of their skin and eye color, so the rich will stand out. Ignore their victor. He's a drunk. He's best friends with Chaff. And we all know how Chaff is."

I groan. I do know how Chaff is. Watching him on television is slightly annoying. He tells crude jokes and holds a bottle most of the time. Haymitch is also with a bottle, but you can tell Chaff is in control. I finish eating fairly fast. I stay because Skene keeps on talking.

"He won't be able to come near you and talk to you during your arrival ceremony, but he will be able to sneak you away during the Feast, so stick close to me or the cameras all the time, as he loves to bother every victor that comes his way." I nod tensely. "When the preps and Pliny wake up, they'll need to bundle you up. Twelve is cold." With that I leave. I have nothing to do for a few hours and then it'll be time to get dressed. To pass the time, I go to the very last car and stare as the scenery rapidly passes by. The car reminds me of... Lartius. Great. I see several coffee tables and a few books scattered across it. I pick one up and begin to read. The author of the book is Beetee Latier. The book is about caring and using electrical appliances in your everyday life. It's mildly interesting, and surely not boring. I then ignore the scenery to complement the book instead. I try to distract myself as much as possible. Who knows what District 12 will bring?

The Capitol attendant comes to get me so I can eat but Skene pushes him away, takes me to my room, and asks me to wash up.

"What?"

"You're not going to eat." Skene lets me know, disappointed. He shushes me before I can complain. "You have to shower quickly because the preps and Pliny are going to be here soon to prepare you for the weather."

"Will they take that long?"

"We're still some hours away from Twelve, so yeah. If their timing is exact, you'll be ready mere minutes from getting to the train station." I whoosh some air from my lungs. My expression is beyond exasperation. "Just hurry. Pliny will throw a fit. Hurry!"

I grumble as I go to the bathroom. I'm not even finished showering when the prep team bursts inside and Perla pulls me out. Nevra uses the running water and finishes my scrub, washes away the soap and sits me on a chair. Fir pats me dry with a towel. Pliny comes in to put me in my outfit. It's a long black dress that goes down to the ankles and a cape with silver sparks all over; it will trail after me. Then Pliny tells me I won't have to pull it up in order to walk. I'll be using heels. Pliny leaves me with the preps as Skene walks in with a small plate piled with food. While the preps work on me, he feeds me bits and pieces to soothe my growling stomach. Nevra, Perla and Fir have to use chairs. I can't lay down, the dress will be ruined. My nails are painted another color and my hair is plaited with silver and let loose. The makeup being used on my face complements and brings out the silver in my hair. Is this to impress the district? A silver coal. I shrug. I'm ready within two hours and a half. Skene smiles widely when I'm taken to the front of the train.

"We made it with enough time!"

"What are you talking about? The station is right there!"

"Exactly. Pliny thought you were going to have to run because you won't be ready yet."

_Oh._ "Well, I'm ready so…" I trail off.

"I know. It's good. Get ready to be greeted by District Twelve."

Snow is falling lightly, and most of the people are bundled up in old scarfs, worn mittens, tattered coats and mended sweaters. A second look shows me a small group of people off to the side with newer outer garments and I immediately know those are the rich. Skene was right. I'm able spot them immediately. The people make way for my car and follow silently. Most of them have olive skin and starling grey eyes, clinging on to my every move. Their eyes show hunger and pain. And tiredness. They are tired. The older people of the population are hunched over and shriveled. How do these people manage? The younger kids have huge eyes, full of pleading and despair. Very few have hope. The colors are opaque, almost drained away. These people are _starving_. How can I pull off looking pleased? Their children are _dying_. I'm led by some Peacekeepers to the Justice Building, where I wait for my next orders. I get told they'll be ready for me soon by some blue eyed government worker from the district. Ten minutes later, I'm standing behind a closed door. I plaster a smile on my face and feel my legs shake as the doors open and I have to step forward.

The dress Pliny put me in is not really up for this weather. My arms and back are out in the open, even with the cape. The snow will probably get me. If not, the biting wind will. Pliny better hope this ceremony goes by fast, or I'll strangle him later.

The crowd gives a polite applause, which is barely heard due to their mittens and gloves muffling the noise. Soft thumps rise up to greet me. My smile doesn't weaver, my smile doesn't falter; I'm pleased to be in District Twelve. Except I'm not. The snow is now falling more forcefully and sticking to the ground. I have to slosh to the microphone in order to speak to the public. I almost slip halfway there. The wind on my skin will turn me pink for sure.

After the mayor of District Twelve announces me by name, he gives me a plaque, but not before he gives a speech in my honor. I am also presented with a small bouquet of white roses which are brought over by a girl, fourteen at most. She has light blonde hair and blue eyes. She looks nothing like most of the people here. I assume she's rich; could be she's the mayor's daughter. She smiles shyly and leaves the stage. The mayor indicates with his hand that it's my turn to speak. I pull out my cards and get ready to read. That's when I notice the families of the dead tributes. A mother and three other kids stand on Katri's side. All with dead, opaque gray eyes. Except for her father. Where's her father? Working the mines? Victory Tours hold mandatory attendance. I see a man in an improvised wheelchair, a rather thin woman – despite her layers of clothes to protect her from the cold – and two little boys on Leonis' side. The man is the one that stands out, and not because of him being in the chair. Because of his eyes. Hazel. I blink and his eyes demand to see his son again. I grip my cards tightly, to snap out of the rage and anger and sorrow ebbing out of these two families.

"Umm. Hello." A few laughs rise from the crowd and I get a bit confident. "It's more than a pleasure to be here. I cannot express how thankful I am to this country and all its districts for providing me with more than what I could have possibly dreamt of. I will be forever in your debt and when the time is allotted, I will repay back. I rose triumphant over my fellow twenty-three other tributes and I can assure you that each and every one of them was essential to my survival in the arena and my victory. The tributes of Twelve tried their best and no one will deny them that. Due to my life back in Five, I wanted to make something better for me, and it is with pride that I announce I am victor of the Seventy Second Games. I may have fallen several times, but courage always got me up again. I am grateful that you are all able to accompany me in this, my journey, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Trust me, the food is magnificent." I wink then, and the rich, most likely merchants, give out a ragged laugh. I realize a second too late that this is not a joke to these people. I silently scold myself and try to resume my speech. "Thank you for receiving me into your district, and thank you to the Capitol for allowing me to be here. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." I finish in a small voice. The last part, Winnow insisted I add it. I didn't want it because it didn't go with my speech. But she _insisted_. The district claps again and I'm taken back inside the Justice Building. Skene takes my plaque and flowers and directs me to Pliny. He gives me a fur muffler and the cape is gone, replaced by an elegant black coat – like a trench coat. He switches my shoes and is gone to attend something else.

"Chariot in five!" yells a Peacekeeper. Time for the victory rally. When it's time, Skene helps me up.

"I'm scared." I mumble, hoping Skene won't hear me.

"Why are you scared? There's nothing to be afraid of. These people won't do anything to you. I can assure that." Skene replies in a soothing tone.

"It's not the people. I just am. I'm all alone in this chariot."

It takes Skene several seconds to digest my answer. "Oh. Lartius. Right?" He looks at me, mournful. "You know he's gone, right? And if he were alive, you wouldn't be here. He would."

"I know. It's just. The chariot feels too big without him." I sniffle.

"It's okay, little victor. You're okay. Get ready. Enjoy the ride." Skene gives me a firm nod and a squeeze to my hand before the chariot moves. The horse charges forward, and I grip the front of the chariot, afraid I'll fall. After I get comfortable enough, I let go and begin to wave. I take note of the fact that most of the people have to pretend to be happy. I can tell. It's more than clear that no one's having fun. No one feels joy. Why should they? Their district is half dead. I lower my hand and consider looking away but the piercing grey eyes demand attention. I put up my charade again and wave reverently. These people deserve more than respect. Their crumbling district is underappreciated. The way they stand and move and go about tells of them being angry yet tired of all the volatile from the Capitol. And it also tells of them feeling useless for not being able to stand up for each other. I beg for the ride to be over soon.

The Victory Banquet held for me at the Justice Building has slim to none people present. As barely anyone from the district is important, the only few that attend are the ones that work for the government, some other officials and the victor, who's kept as far away from me. Haymitch is Chaff's twin, and I follow Skene _everywhere_ in order to avoid contact with him. I get several picture requests from various officials throughout the night. I pose with just about everyone. The banquet is soon over and I am more than relieved. We are inside the train at around one in the morning, and soon enough we're on our way to District 11.

District 11 is alike District 12 in the sense that both are overlooked because of being the 'last' districts. But unlike District 12, 11 is fairly large. Before we hit 11, I catch up on rest, even if it's for a few hours. Once there, the long dresses are put back. I'm grateful for it. As I get ready to be dressed for District 11, Pliny tells me why he chose my outfit for 12.

"It was to see if you could gain the district's favor. You obviously didn't when you said that food joke. It seems to make them angry." Pliny tells me, laughing humorously.

"I know, Pliny! You think I felt _good_ when I said that? I was beyond angry at myself. I don't want to mess up like that again. I don't want to be a hated victor, like Haymitch or some of the others. I want to be like Johanna Mason, you know. Everyone respects her." I start furious but end up whispering when I say I wish I were Johanna.

"Calm down," Pliny gives me a side look before grabbing my outfit. "Get ready to be prepped for your appearance in Eleven."

I only nod and put on a black loose blouse with white flowers around the torso and white dots on the sleeves. The bottom is a black skirt with even more flowers, but pink and green dominant this time. Pliny tries to put me in heels again, but I groan that my feet hurt and he shakes his head while he passed me black boots. I grin mischievously. My hair is put in into two thin side braids that connect in the back. The rest is let loose, but not before Pliny bombards it with even more flowers. Apple and orchids and tulips and orange. Once again, I stand behind a door as I'm being announced as the victor of the most recent Games. My speech is more or less alike the one in 12, except I don't even try to joke about the food this time. And I alter a thing or two. The part that remains the same is the end. "Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." The fatigued faces of the adults cringe at my praise of the country. The little ones stare meekly and impatient. I see Orchid's family and I'm jaded. The only person standing for Orchid is a boy that looks to be around sixteen or seventeen. He looks at me with bitterness, I cringe and look away, only to have my eyes land on Caldwell's family. An old man and woman. His parents or grandparents? The woman holds a squirming child in her arms. I blink again, hoping the families will be gone, but when I open my eyes, they haven't moved at all. In fact, they stare back, intensely. The plaque suddenly becomes heavy and the bouquet of roses is too big for me to hold. The ceremony is over quickly, and as District 11 is mostly fields and not many buildings, I'm taken inside for the dinner later on.

I plow the Justice Building and since it's too big for me, I end up getting lost. Skene and some of the Peacekeepers begin looking for me and I'm scolded once I'm found. I change into the evening clothes and brace myself for the upcoming night. The dinner in 11 ends at around one in the morning, again, and Skene has to drag me to my sleeping cart. He acts as if he has to get used to it.

"Thanks for your help, again. I feel like you saw this coming." I nag him.

"Oh. No worries. And it's because I was like this too, more or less, during my own Tour. You know who you should have seen? Fannia. That girl was pieces. Anyways. Sleep well. District Ten is closer than you think." Skene explains and then leaves me to sleep. Since the districts aren't allowed to interact with one another, no one really knows how the country of Panem is laid out unless you've been on a Victory Tour, which says much about our country. Win in order to explore. I know the following days will be full of travel, therefore, I don't need to be told twice about resting.

District 10 is looming over me the next day. I shift uncomfortable in the chair I'm sitting on as the preps work on me. Nevra scolds me for moving too much. I mumble out a quick 'sorry' while I continue to move. The team threatens to go to Pliny to get me to behave. I sit still. Once I'm ready, I sneak away to the last compartment. I don't want to go to 10. Skene gives a frustrated groan when he finds me.

"Rhymer," the stress is clear in his voice. "We have to be in the front of the train. We'll arrive in two, three minutes. Let's go; now. Come on." Skene pulls my arm but I don't budge. "What is it?"

"Dorothea. And Ovid." I whisper, afraid.

"What? What are you talking about now?"

"Dorothea. I killed her. And I killed Ovid too. I don't want to see their families. Can't we skip Ten?"

"No, we can't. You shouldn't fuss over it. There's no point on you fussing about it. Plus, we don't skip the districts of the tributes you kill. You have to face it. All of us victors did. Let's move to the front before Pliny stops the train and strangles us to death."

I giggle before giving in. Even when I try to push the fact that I killed the district's tributes to the back of my mind, it nags me whole the time as I see the district's station rising. _I've got to endure this. The perks of winning, huh?_ I look at my outfit as I prepare for the cameras. A sleeveless cream chiffon blouse with ruffles down the middle and low leggings. I hope this means Pliny will put me in leggings and pants more often. I don't get along with dresses. Or skirts. My hair is in a simple, loose bun. _Is this really for 10?_ I wonder. Skene grips my shoulder and I don't mind. I've gotten used to it. The train stops and I'm greeted by the district.

The hatred and fury stitched on the faces of Ovid's three siblings is unbearable. His parents are another story altogether. Deep pain and sorrow have harden their faces. I feel an immense something grip my chest tightly and I need to get oxygen some other way because my lungs are useless. Dorothea's family is just two people. Her mother and father. Both are crying as they see me cross to the microphone. I shiver and my voice shakes and cracks as I deliver my speech. "In the Games, the odds are in anyone's favor. I thank the country for the odds being in mine. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." I don't dare look at the families as I am being presented with bright white roses and a plaque. I can't even begin to imagine the horror Dorothea's parents are muddling through. Their only child.

District 10 is bigger than 11, but I get to tour it. Hatcheries stand in the back, and I get a brief glimpse before I'm back at the front of the Justice Building yet again. I stand, waving and smiling, while the crowd pretends to love me. The dinner in this district starts later than the others and the smells from the food are spectacular. My mouth waters at the smell of the meat – even when I've never known what it's like to truly starve – that lingers all over the Justice Building. I stick near my room here, not wanting to be scolded again, and I'm glad when Skene calls on me that its time to make my appearance. Just like all the other nights, this one goes by in a blur and I'm back on the train, heading for yet another district before I know it.

District 9 isn't as dreadful as 10. For one, their tributes didn't make it far into the Games, all due to Grandis. I remember his grin as he saw both of their faces in the sky. The remorse is still there, less gripping and threating than before, but I feel it lazing around in my chest and mind. I am guilty of _every_ death, more or less. Pliny pokes me to get me to do things so the preps can get me ready on time. My outfit is a black tank that goes under a thick yellow mustard knitted sweater. Slim black pants claim the bottom of the outfit. My hair has strands of wheat intertwined to form a crown. I don't like it. I feel weird when we arrive at the station and the people gasp then stare daggers are me for my audacity. _Blame Pliny, not me_. I want to shout out, but I know I can't. My arm automatically lifts to wave at them.

The small ones, the ones that don't fully grasp any situation in front them, cheer and smile and laugh as I make my appearance in front of the microphone. Briar's family is an older girl, a woman who appears to be in her forties or so and a tall bronze man who grips both women tightly. He must fear the Capitol will come for them just as they did with his younger daughter. Runyon's side is the one that makes my heart almost stop beating in place. I think it does skip several beats. A small boy who can't be older than four years old holds my gaze with intense brown eyes and I feel that if someone doesn't take me away, I will faint or die of a heart attack.

The mayor has to snap me back to attention, as I feel I'm drowning in the little boy's eyes. They hold me accountable for his brother not being by his side any longer. _I can't do this;_ I tell myself. To break contact with the boy's eyes, I look down and my eyes land on my cards. I give out a shaky breath and grip the cards tightly. I focus on each word, holding on to each in order to avoid collapsing, as if each were a lifeline. This isn't fair. I'm supposed to face everyone and pretend I am happy I am alive. I mean, I am, but I _also_ have to say I am happy I _killed_ other kids in order to be here. How do the other victors do this? The Careers parade around in grand outfits and smug smiles. I remember that I'm a Career myself and I have to do this. I don't want the Capitol to pry. Skene is right.

"The Capitol rewards us all. I am being rewarded as I speak. Your reward will come someday; the day you need it the most. And like me, you will be grateful. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." With that, I move away from the microphone and take my gifts with me. As the doors begin to close, I again feel Runyon's brother stare at me and I turn around. His eyes are the last thing I see as the doors finally close. A chariot is being prepared as I give Skene my things. I get a tour of the place. I wave and smile at the crowd as they give me fake smiles and applause back. Fields of wheat stretch out as far as my eye can see, and the soft glow that the fields give off is mesmerizing.

The food here in 9 is seedy. Loafs of bread dotted and sprinkles with grain accompany every dish. Also, the treats are all based off from grains and wheat. This night is slower than most. My evening clothes are sticking to my skin. It's too hot here. Officials come down on me and demand pictures and speeches and stories. I get a groan from the last official that asks for a picture as I say no. I make up that I have a limited number of pictures I can take with people. I know he'll go to Skene to complain and when Skene catches my eye as the man rants that I won't take a picture with him, he motions to go over to them. I'm sure he'll most likely force me to take a picture with the man when I hear him tell the official that what I said wasn't a lie and that he was sorry I couldn't take a picture with him. The man leaves fuming and the only thing Skene says is that we should leave and get on the train.

District 8 is worse than 10, if that's possible. Again, I killed both tributes from this district. The twins. I wasn't so cruel with Majoris. But with Althea… That's another story. Even when I didn't burn her myself, it was part of why she died. For me to live. Pliny puts me in a bright yellow V-neck shirt that has hints of black underneath and a loose circular skirt with white flower designs that bloom. It's open and easy to walk in. Ribbons of various colors give life to my hair and Pliny seems bent on me showing each district that I'm on their side. It doesn't matter or make a difference. I won't gain their favor. The words that come out of my mouth are unforgettable. District 8 isn't as hot as the previous district. In fact, the moment the doors of the train get opened, my nose wrinkles at the smell. Skene jabs me hard in the back, trying to do it unnoticed and that means I have to ignore the fumes and smile again. Tenements are spread around the square and most of the place is brick and stone. No flowers, no grass, no _anything_ from nature. After the last few districts, it feels off to not see at least some grass.

My speech comes out feebly. "It is with pride that I stand here today. Each victor has power upon entering the arena, and it is one's choice to combine it with others or to triumph on our own and the tributes of this district couldn't be a more powerful force to contend with. But I am here, standing before you thanks to the Capitol. Our ruler and our country is grateful in every single way. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." The cards Winnow gives me every single day are dull. I alter things. But in the end, these words are not mine. They are the Capitol's. The knowledge of that makes me feel small. The people seem discontent and angry at me and my speech. Even when they hide it, I see it rolling around behind their hazed eyes. The way their hands curl into fists, about to be ready for anything. Although they appear to not want to do anything rash, they still hold their place as Peacekeepers tower over them. The men are more agitated then the women, but the entire district is eccentric and frantic for justice.

Due to all the tenements being so close together, I know I won't be doing a victory rally. As I finish my speech, and right before I receive my plaque and roses, I see the remainder of the Overwhills. A tall, wiry man with curly hair and dull eyes and an equally tall woman with a thin face and red, puffy eyes look at me with blank expressions. I have taken away the only thing they had; their children, which were their molds and the way they would have been able to continue living long after they were dead. And I have stripped them of that.

Skene scolds me the minute I'm behind door. "You wrinkled your nose. You looked like you were in disgust."

"You didn't warn me about it. Was I supposed to guess? You know, for a mentor, you're not being helpful." I snap at him before I slam the door of the room I've been assigned and then head to the bathroom to blow off some steam before the preps arrive to get me into my evening clothes.

I don't eat in District 8. I just want to be out of here. Even inside the Justice Building, with all the smells of the food and the perfumes and colognes and lotions swirling around, the fumes from the textile factories lay masked beneath it all. I don't want to be here. I feel nauseous and I'm wary when people aren't around, when I have to put my appearance away. Skene gives me a side look before hugging me tightly as we are leaving the district's station.

"You're right. I should have warned you. I'm sorry. And you seem tense lately. Want to talk about it?"

I nod glumly and he directs me to a chair in order to talk. We're in the television car. "I'm sorry, Skene. You have helped me so much. I shouldn't of have snapped at you, you know. I should have asked. I just, don't know. The faces of the families of the dead tributes are just horrible to look at. Even when they didn't die because of me. I just find all of this overwhelming. And I'm tired. Simply tired."

"No, no, no. I should be more helpful. This will be over before you know it. Come on, let's get you to bed. District Seven is tomorrow. Rest as much as possible. You'll be fine. And if you need anything, look for me and ask me, no matter the time."

"Thank you."

District 7 is proud, towering forests that I also get a tour of. But not before my speech with its Capitol signature. "We are all of us united. Both victors and vanquished, in serving a common purpose. The power and glory of the Capitol. It shall always be strong. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." Pleione's family is a boy, a girl, a mother and another woman I assume is an aunt. The boy and girl are an echo of their sister and it makes me sad. Struve's side is a crippled old man that is practically sitting on the floor because his crutch is old and worn. The outfit I wear is a nice turquoise dress that has thin sleeves. It makes it airy and cool. Although 7 isn't arid or hot, I appreciate the dress, which in itself is a rarity. The material doesn't hug my body, and I really start to love this dress. My hair is pulled back by a mossy green headband with my bangs framing my face. Pliny knows his stuff. I stopped questioning him a long time ago.

District 6 takes a while to get to, which is why we leave the dinner in 7 early. As 7 was up in the north, we have to go far down to get to 6. The only thing I fear from that district is Cordo's family. I killed him in the initial bloodbath without batting an eye. Vibia wasn't my fault. It was Lartius and Althea who killed her. Nonetheless, I'm sort of afraid to see her family too. The nagging remorse that I've had implanted on my chest since the first day of the Victory Tour still lingers inside me. I don't want it to, but that's not really how guilt and remorse work. It stays until you are hollow and desperate for unattainable forgiveness. Since 6 isn't really concrete, I don't have to tour the place. Unlike any of the other districts, 6 is crisscrossed with train tracks and open space. Hazy buildings suggest that's where the people live. A couple of buildings dot the place here and there, but the city is generally open and has an empty feeling. The outfit I wear for this district is simple. A white cotton blouse and plain black pants. The district seems to only have these two colors, so I appear as a reflector of it.

Cordo's family is off to one side, but their expressions take me by surprise. There's no sadness or grimness or anything of the likes. In fact, they appear to be happy, or at least at ease with each other. The mother has beautiful, bright eyes, which I'm sure are not like that because of tears over her dead son, as there are none. The father has an air of finally getting rid of something he didn't want. I get a horrible feeling that it would be his son, but that is cruel and cold, and I simply can't imagine a mother or father despising their child. Even the oldest child appears to be happy. It's the little one that despite his expression, makes me glad someone cares. He looks downtrodden and it squeezes my heart but I'm witnessing someone finally care about Cordo's death. Vibia's family is alike the ones in other districts. Crying and gripping each other for support while the victor stands in the place where their loved one could have stood upon their return.

"I respect each tribute and their courageous fighting in the arena. Some put of a fight while others had no fight to put up, but we are all one nation and we are all united to celebrate the return of the victor. Thank you for this opportunity. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." After that, I'm presented with a plaque and more roses. I've come to hate roses, especially white, in the past couple of days. I see nothing but white roses everywhere. And their smell is starting to clog up my nose.

I'm on the train before I know it, and it turns out Skene was right. This is going by fast. It could be because we go through the same motions every day. The waking, dressing, parading and eating before heading back to the train becomes a sort of routine that I _in no way_ want to adopt. I don't even try to keep up with the dinners, but the speeches at the arrival of each district don't go away as easily. And more dreadfully, the families. The faces twisted with anger and fear and pain and loss are not to be ignored. Soon enough, I'm plagued with nightmares of not only the dead tributes, but of their families seeking revenge.

I prepare for the next district, 4, the following morning, putting on a dark blue dress and nice boots to not expose my legs much. Skene said the wind coming from the ocean could be cold, as this season merits cold winds. The prep team goes beyond what they've done in other districts and imprint designs on my skin. They are hard to catch at first, but when under the correct light, tridents, fishes, pearls and other sea-related things shimmer and wink on my skin. I smile at them and thank them for their marvelous work.

District 4 brings me tranquility. Not at first, because I must face the Rankines and the Lapworths. What complete sweeps me off my feet is that the welcoming of the victor is different in these richer districts. For one, once I make it to the station and arrive at the Justice Building, I'm allowed to _talk_ with the dead tribute's families. The Rankines approach me first, and I'm afraid at first, but then I'm stunned by their words.

"You were a strong ally, I saw why my son and the rest of the Careers took you in. We don't resent you. Well, at first we did, but now. Not so much. You are a fighter and the odds aligned themselves for you. It would have been great to see our son again, but as he died doing something he wanted to, we are happy he died trying. Good luck with the rest of the tour." Mr. Rankine, Gunnar's father, nods as he walks off with his wife, who gives me a watery smile and then gives me a thumbs up. The Lapworths tell me the same. I am even hugged by Valeria's sister.

"Thank you." The girl tries to give me her necklace but I stop her and give her Valeria's bracelet back. She bites back tears and I push her away softly before she tries to give it back. It deserves to be with her. It's the last of anything coming from Valeria. I walk up to the stage, and for once, the speech in my honor feels sincere. Most of the district looks at me with passive faces, not anger or resent, which is nice. A natural smile spreads across my face and I decide to alter my speech from the cards. I'll keep the ending the same, but the words on the paper are not what I feel on telling.

"The tributes of this district, District Four, where not only my allies. They were my friends. I will not be able to express how grateful I was to have them with me in the arena. Valeria gave me strength when I felt down and Gunnar's smiles made the task of fighting in the arena more bearable. Without your children, I would be nothing now, and you would be greeting and welcoming someone else into this wonderful district. Thank you for your pride, for your honor, for your children. You are an example of standing tall and proud during hard times, and I take this bravery and wish to use it as my own, for the future, if you allow me. Our country needs every district to be alike yours. Full of talent in tributes and confidence all throughout the years and self-sufficient too. Once again, thank you for your children and ego. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." I get a loud round of applause, and for the first time in a week, I am at peace, I am proud and I am elated. I am moved to tears by their response, which is quickly washing over me and filling me with bliss.

The glimpse I get of the ocean after I receive my plaque and roses is calm, and it gives me hope. I return to the Justice Building with a wide, radiant grin and Skene seems to notice my change.

"You look better."

"I know. The district was nice. It's wonderful to be received by a district that way. I never thought…" I trail off, not wanting to let my happy moment go to waste. I simply want to sit down and savor it. Skene chuckles. "What?" I mean to say it growling, because the look he gives me is offensive but it comes out as hush.

"Your eyes are misty. As if you're seen something beautiful for the first time. It's nice to see you like this. I know you're not pretending. This is good, Rhymer." He pats me affectionately in the head and leaves me smiling in the couch of my room in the Justice Building. I want nothing to ruin this. Nothing.

I don't want to forget the dinner in 4. It is full of joyous, adoring people who are more kind and happy to see me, if that's even possible. I smile at all of them and I seek out people to take pictures with instead of the other way around. When the clock claims its thirty minutes to one, Skene starts to tell me to wrap things up. I don't want to. He reminds me we still have some districts to go and that we have to get on the train soon. Most of the dinners end at one. I groan softly but comply. I take the last few photos and I thank everyone who attended once more before Skene takes me back to the train. Then I'm told to rest up, as District 3 is far away, and I stay up an extra hour, giddy with all the excitement I collected during the night. I fall asleep at around three in the morning and don't get disturbed by anyone until five.

"Here, eat some of this. Or all of this. Pliny wants to get you ready for District Three." Skene sets down a tray loaded with food and fruits and other delicacies. I mostly eat fruits, and once I finish, I leave the rest and rush to the bathroom to prepare for yet another day.

Pliny arrives soon and I hand myself over to the team to be painted and adorned for 3. The top claims to be a nice sleeveless black blouse the immediately demands attention. It runs low, passing my hips. It has a tail, which almost reaches the back of my knees. Pliny tells me to button it up and the collar hugs my throat snuggly. The pants are the same color. As I see the station appear before my eyes, I see some factories, towering over the houses in the city. I don't see how my outfit will please District 3 when Pliny intertwines cables and wires to look casually mused amongst my hair. The bright, soft plastic stands out. Red, blue and green swim in the mass of my dark hair and Pliny set me at the front of the train with a very pleased look. The plastic from the fake wires doesn't hurt and when the doors open, I prepare myself from any smell with a smile. Unlike District 4, 3 smells alike 8, industrial fumes dominant and thick in the air. Already, I miss the salty comfort of District 4.

The crowd here is difference, and I remember that I killed one of theirs. I should have raveled myself in the happiness from 4. The energy this district gives off is alike the other districts. In despair and borderline solemnity. I cringe but then remember I have to smile. I hope the last two remaining districts are friendlier.

"Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." After my dull speech, I clutch my roses and plaque as Martial's family burns holes into my conscience just by looking at me. The agony in the crestfallen faces of his two sisters and his father make me want to curl up and disappear. I feel miserable and uncomfortable. I also sneak a look at Pomeline's family and immediately wish I hadn't done so. Because the ache and bewilderment in their eyes tears at my insides and leaves me numb. I grip the roses tightly and wince when I feel a thorn prick my finger. The mayor takes me away as the crowd begins to push against the Peacekeepers. Once inside, I rush onto Skene's open arms and crush both my flowers and my plaque. The corner of the plaque digs onto my ribs, but I've ceased to care. I give out a small, gorged sound before Skene takes my things away and gives me a woeful look while the preps take me to my room and prepare me for the evening. I do my best to have fun but the rowdiness of the crowd badgers me the rest of the night. We go to the train soon and I prepare for District 2.

I wake up crying, pulling myself from the claws of District 3, where they wanted to destroy me for telling them about the greatness of the Capitol. Skene and my assistant rush in when my sobs turn me into a screaming mess. The assistant rushes out to get me something as Skene rocks me to dulcify me and get me to sleep again. It turns out I haven't even slept more than two hours. I see the assistant come in with a tray that holds two tall mugs of tea, cream, sugar cubes, and honey. He sets it down in the dresses and leaves me with Skene, giving me a soft, smile. My hands eagerly reach for the tea and I give out a moan full of pleasure as the warmth makes contact with my skin. I'm drenched in cold sweat. Skene leaves when he empties his mug and tells me to sleep a bit more, before Pliny gets to barge in. I don't listen to him. Pliny finds me gazing out the window and sighs softly before getting me to shower and dress for 2.

A soft grey sweater makes it way to me, along with a pair of grey pants. I look like a dull, gray rock. This, I immediately understand why it will appeal to District 2. What I know I will never be ready for is seeing the Ivorys. When I arrive, I see a silent, paramount mountain standing proudly in the background. The city spreads out around the mountain, making its presence more commanding and important. I am greeted alike District 4, and I talk with Grandis and Rulapia's parents. Their mother is pregnant. The twins will never get to meet their new sibling. I look at Mrs. Ivory's eyes. She hugs me tightly and I feel the baby kick as we squeeze the stomach between us.

"Thank you for caring for our boy," rasps out Mr. Ivory. "And for helping Rulapia suffer less. I am sure you didn't want her to suffer. And Grandis. You cared for him while you could. For this, we are thankful. We wish you luck on this, your tour. Please don't forget about us or your allies, and friends, our twins, alright?"

"Of course not, sir. They weren't only my friends, they were my siblings. Thank you, and I'm sorry for putting you through this."

"It's alright, Rhymer. Thank you for your efforts."

I feel hollow once they leave. But same as District 4, I am partially relieved they don't hate me or want me dead. Or they at least, they don't give me the impression that they do. I recite a similar speech to the one I did in 4, with a few changes. "The twins were my siblings and I want to let everyone know that I will never forget how they kept me alive while I did the same. They were invincible and nothing will ever destroy their image or their names. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." I started crying halfway there, and by the time I finish, half the district is crying with me too. Especially the people who knew Grandis and Rulapia. The dinner comes too soon and then I have to leave, knowing that I have made my peace with the twins' district. I settle in for the night and wake the next day for the final district before the Capitol.

Arriving in District 1 means I'll be wrapping up my tour soon. I'll be _home_ soon. I let out a sigh of relief and put on the articles of clothing and accessories Pliny passes me. A shirt long enough to pass off as a dress, khaki green and a belt. Suede ankle boots in a light beige color. He plasters glitter onto my arms and legs, and then puts bright, small gems into my hair. It doesn't work but Pliny never questions himself – I shouldn't either.

Again, I am greeted by the families of the fallen ones. The Edenthaws are a bit harsh, because Daniela was the youngest out of them. I tell them that I tried to save her, and they back off, but only slightly. They ask me how I got Daniela to trust me so fast – she believed I could have helped her even as she died. I shrug and then tell them I had to fight her for her respect. That's when her mother chuckles as she cries. "She loved to irritate people," her older brother tells me as he squeezed his mother's shoulder. "I'll miss that about her." Then they leave and I'm attacked by the Dunbrylls. A seven year old blonde girl and a five year old blonde boy accompanied by a sandy blonde, blue-eyed man and a wiry ashy haired woman represent Septimus. He looked a lot like his mother, but he had his father's built. "Thank you for our son, he went down a fighter and you made friends with him. Thank you." They don't even let me talk, they just leave. But the little kids hold my hands and I kneel down to hug them both. I give each a kiss in the cheek and they leave, a giggling mass while their parents wait for them to catch up to them.

Another speech in the honor if the deceased of this district and something alike the other Career districts. One isn't as passive as 2 or 4, but they still applaud me politely and the Edenthaws are the ones who seem the most happy to see me. My face still falls as I see Septimus' younger siblings running in circles around their parents, oblivious to what's happening around them. "In a world where not many raise triumphant, yet we are all victorious by being a part of this country, we stand together, forever bonded by years of watching each other laugh and suffer. With the respect you deserve, and everyone deserves for offering tributes every year, we build the pillars to our country. We believe in Panem, our country, our foundations. Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." The dinner is over quickly and I'm on the train, heading straight to the Capitol.

In my cart, I take the oldest bouquets of roses and head over to the fireplace in the television room. I'm about to enter when instinct tells me someone's there. I make my way back to my room and open the window. One by one, I peel off the silky white petals of off the roses and released them out the window. I still can't believe they are older than six days, yet they preserve their beauty as if they were fresh from the start. I know which roses are from which district, as Skene did me the favor of labeling the vases. Soon, the last roses are the ones from District 4. I finally go to sleep, knowing I'll wake up in the Capitol.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I don't even know what to say anymore. Just that, um, ********************************************lease don't forget to review? I promise I'll read them all. ************************The characters I may occasionally mention (eg. Katniss, Peeta, Gale) belong to Suzanne and not me.**

24 - The Tour Almost Ends

I wake up with the sheets intertwined between my legs, stuck to my skin with sweat. It takes me a while to disentangle myself, and once I do, I head to the shower in disgust. I hear Pliny shriek when he doesn't see me in bed and I yell that I'm here, in the bathroom. He pokes his head in, regardless of me being naked here, and gives me a thumbs up because I woke up early and then goes to wake up the team. I'm drying myself when Fir comes in

"Capitol day!" He chimes. I scowl and then let the towel fall as Fir's eyes swipe up and down my body to envision what he wants to do with it. "You're going to love how we're going to decorate you! The president will want to speak to you personally if we pull this off!"

Nevra and Perla squeal with excitement at being able to finally attend such an important and prestigious dinner. I'm their ticket. My nails are done quickly, each one a lightning yellow. My hair is dyed the same hue. Pliny removes all mirrors from my room and I'm going to have to trust the team on this one. Small topazes and sapphires are arranged to look like an immense explosion happened all over my back and arms. The outfit I'll wear are two separate pieces. The top is a nice stormy blue. The bottom transitions the blues into greys and whites until the very bottom of the skirt glows like lightning. It's beautiful. The team is done and Pliny comes in. I squeal with delight loudly and the team gives me gratifying looks.

"The team worked hard, Rhymer. We're glad you liked it. They spent months working on this, just for you." Pliny tells me while he nudges my chin. I flash him a wide grin.

"I'm glad you're holding together, Rhymer. That's a good girl." I keep smiling. I love his nickname for me. Makes me sound adorable. Who doesn't like to be adorable? "Front of the train, come on."

I haven't seen my face and that's when Skene sneaks me a mirror. "No!" I wail once I get a glimpse of myself. My face is nothing compared to the dress, or the gems which at least wink because they are naturally beautiful. "I look like candy! I look awful!" I howl as Skene hides the mirror away from me when he hears Pliny coming to see what the commotion's about. "What did you do!? Why do I look like... like... like a clown!?" I yell at Pliny.

"Did you see yourself in the mirror? You weren't supposed to!" Pliny tells me brusquely.

"Why? You didn't want me to complain because of how awful I look? Have you seen me? I will be laughed at!" I raised my voice to an impossible octave.

Before Pliny can counter, Skene pulls my hand and makes me look at him. "Need I remind you that you are going to the _Capitol_? That means you _have_ to look colorful and ridiculous. I don't think I need to remind you about the last time you were here. Do you remember how everyone was dressed? I hope so. Now, quit whimpering and be thankful to the team and their efforts for preparing you for the Capitol."

"No. No. I am not going out looking like this." I scowl. An assistant comes over due to all my yelling. I ask him for a cloth. Once he hands it to me, I rub all the makeup off while the team whimpers and winces. "No. I love the dress, honesty. And I know you tried your best. But this is beyond freakish. The makeup is awful compared to the dress. I'm sorry, you guys." Nevra gives me sad eyes. "Oh, come on!"

"Rhymer." Skene tells me in a warning tone.

"I dare you to be painted like that and then not do anything about it. I dare you." I growl back.

"Okay. Sorry. But I was in your shoes once. Back off." Skene snaps back.

"Forget him." I tell the team as Skene leaves. "Here. Um, redo my eyelids in the grey tone of the dress. Forget the yellow. Actually, the lashes can be yellow. And the lips can be blue. See?" The team immediately goes to my help then and once they're done, I don't look marvelous, but I look better. "I'm sorry again, and thank you for fixing me." I walk to the front of the train once the team goes away to change, squealing.

I do my best to calm down. I know this is the _Capitol_ and people will be all over me; the opposite of what the districts did to me. But I am anxious. My behavior has to be different. For one, I'll be in the President's Mansion. And a lot of important people and officials will be there, along with the actual president. I remember Skene telling me not to get the Capitol to pry on me and my disorder after the arena. The terror and worry in his voice echoed in my head for the rest of the day. In order to avoid this, I must be ready to be called upon by everyone and no matter who they mention when talking to me, I have to be calm. I _have_ to. Then I remember the men that passed by, caressing me. I realize I will have to endure more people like that. According to Winnow, everyone's here's been waiting for me to arrive. I let out a ragged breath and peek out the window.

The tunnel looms nearby, and my stomach clenches with anticipation. I feel as if I'm going to be sick and then the whole train car starts spinning. It stops the moment someone puts their hand on my shoulder. I scream.

"Calm down. It's only me. Rhymer, it's me, Skene. Calm down." Once I stop screaming, he takes my hand and rubs soothing circles with his other hand on my back. "It's alright. Relax. I know you're nervous. I was like that too. Sorry I snapped at you back there. You should have seen me when my prep team finished." He chuckles, low.

"I did see you. You were wearing purple and orange, right? You looked funny, actually." I chuckle myself. I remember when he flashed across the screen a few weeks back. I was bored at home and I turned on the television. After all the propaganda, they did a segment on worst and best dressed in the past decade. Skene was number three on worst dressed. I vaguely remember laughing myself hoarse after I saw it. "You were on the worst dressed. I'll probably be there too next time they do that segment."

"Oh no, now. Your team did their best. And you look way better than I did when I was in my tour. You're got to be nice and grateful. It's not _so_ bad."

"I don't want to do this."

"No one really does, Rhymer." He whispers softly. He hugs me, squeezing me to his chest lightly.

Once the Capitol comes into view, he composes himself, and like always, grips my shoulder. It now makes me feel safe and confident, this little gesture of his. The colors of the Capitol bloom before my eyes, and I brace myself for the worst.

I parade around adoring crowds and people who throw me roses and flowers and jewelry. I catch some and wave in thanks. These people are safe from harm. From the reaping. It's hard to look past that. I manage just fine. I crack down when we're back to the tribute rooms I'd used during my last visit here. I prep for the questions Caesar will ask me later tonight. I also change my outfit. I won't need to be so ridiculously extravagant. A long, dark blue dress with a tail and lightning bolt patterns everywhere. Pliny is still going with lightning. He has the team braid my hair with metallic blue and silver; that compliments the lightning in my dress. I almost throw a tantrum when Pliny shoves the high heels under my nose.

The stage is bright and the list of questions Caesar poses feels ultimately long. Once the interview is over, we head to President Snow's mansion and get ready for the party. The mansion in itself is humongous. What it holds inside is mesmerizing. The ceiling is gone, instead there is open sky. Many chairs and couches and tables are around the places, with a huge clearing in the center for dancing. The musicians are in a floating sort of platform and people chat and mingle and dance on the cleared space.

That's when I notice the food. Many tables hold soups and cakes and dishes and other treats that attract the eye because of the bright colors they give off. The whole roasted animals also demand attention and already, many people are crowded around them. Other things are being eaten too. Cheeses and breads and wines and sea food and spirits. I decide I only want to eat the light foods in order to avoid getting filled quickly. All of it is very tempting, but Capitol fancy food can turn on you when you least expect it.

I don't give the bread a second look, or the treats. I know bread is very filling and the cakes have sweet candies that fill. I nibble on some of the cheeses and enjoy one so much, I want to eat the whole block. Then I head over to the dishes with no meat or seafood or pastas. Those kinds of foods fill me up quickly too. I take a few vegetables and immediately, herbs and spices dance on my tongue. The carrots are accompanied by a delicious sauce, which is spicy. The potatoes have bits of melted cheese and savory bread. I taste more things and I'm soon full, even without the meat or heavy foods. I look at some of the people and notice a green haired man grab a glass of a clear-looking drink and head over to the bathroom with it in hand. This spikes my curiosity, and even though I'm not eating anymore, I keep a constant eye on the table that holds the glasses in case a woman comes up to take one. As I wait for anyone else to pick up a glass, many people come to me and ask for pictures, kisses and anecdotes. I'm friendly with just about everyone and when I'm not talking to someone, it finally happens. A woman throws a _whole_ plate full of chicken, vegetables and bread away in order to grab her glass. I don't see why she needed to throw away the full plate, but I let my curiosity get the better of me and I follow her to the bathroom. I hear the musical chime of a glass dropping and them the horrible noise of someone being sick. I panic and I see an Avox in the corner, waiting with a cleaning mop and broom in hand, not even troubled by the noises erupting from the only occupied stall. The woman comes out then and upon seeing me, she turns a bright crimson color and tries to hide.

"Are you alright?" I ask her, helping her from slipping on the glass she broke earlier. Her bright pink curls stick to her face due to sweating over being sick. The Avox immediately cleans up her mess and leaves us to throw it away. I'm alone with the woman in the bathroom.

She doesn't answer for a while. When she finally does, she does it while trying to catch her breath. "I'm fine. You shouldn't see me like this. The gossip this will cause. Surely someone will see us here. And the Avox will tell." I stare at her, baffled. Avoxes _can't_ speak. She must know that. I'm momentarily horrified but I remind myself about what I thought about in the train. "I am so embarrassed."

"Don't worry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Was it something you ate or drank that made you sick?" I ask with a strained voice. I'm doing my best to forget her Avox comment.

"Oh, no. It wasn't the food. Or any spirit. It was the clear liquid. See, I was full from so much food and I wanted more so I picked up a glass and made myself vomit in order to enjoy the other food I hadn't had the chance to eat beforehand. You should do it too. Enjoy all this food. It is for you, after all." She tells me all this in a matter-of-fact tone and giggles. She goes to the mirror and fixes her face. She pats my arm as she leaves. She just told me she made herself be sick in order to enjoy more food. _How is that normal?_ I shudder and then feel slightly angry at this whole feast thing. I remember the starving looks of some of the first districts I visited; the ones far from the Capitol. The children with hollow eyes. I'm expected to be a part of this. To do it for the mere pleasure of being able to eat as much as I want, whenever I want. This feels wrong. I leave the restroom and head over to the clearing space. That's when a man with deep purple robes and a curious beard puts his hand on my shoulder and asks me to dance.

"Of course." I tell him as I bow at him. He gives a sheepish grin and then bows himself. He takes my hands and then we dance with slow, small steps as the musicians play a soft melody.

"Do you know who I am?" He asks in a voice that lacks the Capitol accent.

"You must be a Gamemaker. Your robes tell me Head one." I say, a bit reluctantly.

"Right you are. The last Gamemaker left because he didn't have any more ideas for the Games. I'm new." He tells, with a slight joy in his voice. That would sort of explain why he lacks the accent.

"Oh. What was his name? And what's yours?"

"Jed Strider was the last Head. And I'm Crane. Seneca Crane. I designed your Games. The upcoming Games will be my second year as Head Gamemaker. I heard you liked my arena."

"Oh, yeah. I did. Considering it was your first arena, it was very good."

We keep dancing. "Jed had been Head for almost six years. He was slightly old when he took the post. Most of us enter at a younger age. Like for instance, Plutarch Heavensbee. See that man over there? The one next to the bread table, wearing black."

"Yes, I see him," I spot a fairly round man with light blonde, almost white, hair talking to a skinny woman wearing striking yellow. "Is he a Gamemaker?"

"Yes, but he used to be Head. Before Jed. Heavensbee became Head at twenty seven. He stopped after seven years. But he decided to stay a Gamemaker. He's just not Head now. Then Jed followed. He's the oldest Head in the history of all the Games. Fifty nine. I am, in case you are curious, twenty two." These young men dedicate their entire lives to the Games. I remind myself yet again to appear indifferent. I only nod. "It's a good job, really. I couldn't ask for anything better, myself. Jed had to work for so long in order to become Head, while all I had to do was pass a test President Snow asked me to take. I really expect more years of wonderful Games. You have no idea what kind of things I have prepared for the future tributes." I shudder then, and Seneca senses it. He drops my hand and bows once more. I bow back. "Thank you for the dance." The music's not over yet, and I feel awkward but relieved in the middle of the dancing center. I bump into a woman and she is about to ask why I am so rude but upon looking at my face, she nearly cries trying to apologize to me.

"Oh, no. Don't worry. It was my fault. Oh, do you happen to know the time?"

She gives me a shy nod and then tells me it's nine. It hasn't even been an hour since the feast started. I thank her and we take a picture. I'm about to look for Skene when a man wearing all black comes up to me. It's _not_ Heavensbee.

"You must come with me. The President wishes to talk to you."

"Right now? Isn't it a weird time to talk? In the middle of the feast?" The man's eyes harden and I close my mouth. "Alright. I'll follow you."

"No one will notice you're gone. Look at them." A quick glance around confirms this. The various people that are present are engrossed with each other, not paying much attention to others outside their circle. That leaves me with no other choice but to follow him around to the front of the mansion. We enter the library and then take a secret side door. "He's in there. You may proceed." I nod and enter. I hear the man closing the door behind me.

"Ms. Lockhearst." The President's cool voice makes it way to me before I see him. His back is to me, and he is watching the people at the feast. Cameras show many places and things going on outside. He turns off the television before he turns to face me. "Sit." I don't ask him anything, I don't look away. I simply sit down, and wait for him to talk. "Not wanting to speak, I see."

"President Snow." I saw then, bowing my head slightly. He gives out a laugh. It's cold, but it's not unfriendly.

"You mustn't be afraid of me. I don't bite." I smile at him then. He smiles back. I become aware of a strong smell. _Roses_. And a dash of something else. Rusty and metal like. I brush it off and try to plug my nose without holding anything against it. I also try to avoid being obvious.

"Of course not, sir. I know you don't. Thank you for throwing this feast in my honor. I feel you've really outdone yourself. I don't deserve these kinds of celebrations."

"But you do! You've won the Games, and people here simple adore you. It is always under the requests of the citizens of Panem that I throw parties, feasts and banquets of this sort. It is for my citizens. My people." He sounds sincere.

"Thank you anyways."

"It is no problem, child. Now, there's a reason I called you here. I want to propose something to you and I want you to listen to me carefully before you decide what to do." A sudden sick feeling clutches my insides, but I don't stop the president. "I've had various, _special_ kinds of requests from some Capitol officials concerning you. You're eighteen and you have a choice in deciding here, therefore I suggest you think this through. Many men and woman have requested you accompany them whenever they want. If you agree to this, you will not be home most of the time. You will be here. People will seek you out and it will be up to you to accompany them or not. Most of the time, they will want your company for having a good, pleasure time." Here, the president's tone goes from mildly cool to enhancing purr. "You are going to be here to make anyone who requests you happy. Nothing else. It will be up to you to sleep with whoever you want." There. He's finally reviled it. But he's very smooth and calm about it, we could be talking about anything. It makes me thoroughly think my answer. I think I know who wanted this. A feeling of negativity washes over me.

"No." I whisper softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." The president's voice is no longer a purr. It's now a dark, aggressive assailant.

"I can't do it, Mr. President. I can't. I would rather do anything else. Consider this too. It will affect me differently than how it will affect the people that seek pleasure." My cracking voice vibrates around the room. A very unpleasant and uncomfortable silence follows and it takes a while for Snow to speak.

"Here's why you should consider this, not the other way around. Imagine your parents suddenly losing their jobs." His voice hints hostility now, no longer bearing traces of sweetness or patience. "And what if I told you that your sister's name being drawn from that reaping several years wasn't an odd. That is was a hoax." His lips curl into a cruel smile. His voice is solid and I am a weak thing that is falling apart. A small part of me refuses to believe him. But most of me knows that he has the power to do things any way he wants. After all, he is continuing the Games, something I'm sure he didn't start. I start to turn ice cold and I want to say something nasty back, but all that will achieve is punishment.

"I would rather do anything else. I meant it." I say fiercely. I grip the armrest of the chair tightly, turning my knuckles white in the process, hiding my shaking hands. Keeping my eyes level with his and not considering lowering my head or my demand. I don't care if I will receive money, or anything valuable. I want to not do anything like that. I would rather die.

"Fine. Your parents are jobless." He tells me in a swift motion. Alike an animal finally getting the chance to destroy their opponent.

"I don't care. I'm not doing it." I reply back. My tone is alike all those other times I've ever fought back. When I didn't give up. Me snarling at Althea, wanting to avenge Valeria, then Grandis and later on, Daniela. I was something fierce and fearsome.

Snow grins then, and I know he will always be cold. "Alright. I admire your courage to stand up to me. Ms. Mason was the same. Mr. Odair, not so much. He even wept. His precious Annie was too important to him. And the irony when she was tribute for the Games two years ago. _This_, Ms. Lockhearst, is _not_ a game. I told you to choose wisely." His voice tells me the conversation is over. I'm slightly shocked when he continues speaking. "But there is another way you can help me. I don't offer this often." He pauses, as if waiting for me to curious as to what he has to say to me. "It's to regulate a _formula_ we've been wanting to test. Some others have been tested, but not everyone has passed the test. If you accept this offer, you'll be with me for a day and no more." He lingers on the word _formula_ and I again get a horrible feeling.

How long have I been talking to him? It seems like hours. Shouldn't someone be looking for me already? Skene should. "I want to do that. I'm not _selling_ my body. I'll take the test." I say desperately. I want out of that horror of being sold. The President's tone implied I was going to be sold several times a day and he would be gaining money out of it. He seems very clear with things, even when he doesn't voice them. Just them, I notice a clock over Snow's head and I sneak a look at it. Nine thirty. _Only_ half an hour?

"Since your choice is made, you must come with me now." We don't leave the secret room. On the contrary, I have to follow him down another secret door.

The room we enter is plain white and holds many doors. They have letters. No other words to identify them. A man wearing complete white comes out of a door marked with an 'L'. Snow and the man exchange a nod. He _hands_ me over and then leaves. I want to shout after him, but the man in white quickly shoves me through the door he came through. We are inside a dark, depressing room. Immediately, I am surrounded by many men and women wearing white coats and masks. Someone rips my dress apart and puts me in a white nightgown. Before I have the chance to panic, I am gripped tightly from behind and set on a table. Hands immediately restrain me and tie me down. Another person quickly removes their hand from my mouth and puts a mask before I even make a sound.

"Welcome to tracker jacker testing." A man's voice sounds out. It's oddly familiar. My eyes frantically search for the speaker and I turn cold when I see Skene.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Until next week, guys. Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have with the others. Please don't forget to review! The characters I may occasionally mention (Peeta, Katniss, Gale, ect.) belong to Suzanne Collins, not me.**

25 - Testing Or Needles

I scream then. My nightmare from so long ago is becoming true. I squirm and yell into the mask. Muffled noises rise, but I'm barely able to move. I decide to try something else. Escape is impossible, I'll try to make myself smaller and fight back if they try to so anything.

"I'm Peck and I need you to be still. This won't hurt at all. I promise." I panic more then, because that's what Skene said in the dream. How does he look like Skene? And if he is Skene, why is he using another name? I know who he is; he can't hide. "Someone please hold her still."

Again, hands quickly grab me. I feel a small pinch on one side of my arm and wince. The thing from the needle affects me quickly. Things start slowly. Before I know it, I'm being untied and placed in a chair. Once I'm sitting down, my hands and feet are tied yet again. The mask covering my mouth is now alike a dog mask. The ones that close the dog's snout and doesn't allow them to bark. Then my chest is attacked with electrodes. Tiny little wires of many different colors. I'm facing a television. I'm settled and the television automatically turns on. It's my Games. If the rumors are true, the stuff from the needle was tracker jacker venom. Because after a while, I begin to feel fear. It starts out slow and simple. But then it turns into a swirling mass of panicked feelings and confused emotions. My Games are being transformed before my eyes. If I thought they were scary and dreadful, they are now terrifying. I try to close my eyes, but the moment they are closed, all noises stop. I curiously open my eyes again and the screen resumes my playback of my Games. I scream and yell and frantically try to avoid looking at the horrors on screen. Eventually, I realize the people running the test on me want me to watch.

My eyes grow tired after several hours. I still have some of my consciousness working. Even though my thought process is slow, I'm still able to think. I don't know if anyone will notice my absence. I still have to go to the tour in my district. Surely someone will know something's wrong when the only people to return in the train are Winnow and Pliny? I am now completely sure Skene is with me and no matter what fake name he chooses for himself, I know it's him.

During the hours that pass by, I am dosed via a needle at least three more times. Lartius' only purpose it to get me, Althea is secretly a beast and the other tributes are only creations of the Capitol. Not mutts, but not human either. It's all a lie. My only allies are Valeria, Daniela and the other Careers. The dog mutts can walk and they carry spears. The bee mutts have faces and they talk to me, ready for battle. The fire that kills Althea is no longer fire, but waves of water. At the end of it all, my sister comes up to me and tells me she's alive.

"Take her off. Put her in the last cell. We have to clean up before we put her back." Skene-Peck says. I am numb from all the shock, and I don't fight or restrain from anyone anymore, as I am weak. The moment I feel the cell door close behind me and I hear a lock, I immediately crumple to the floor. I crawl to the corner and hold my knees in while I cry. I rock back and forth slightly. I cry harder when I don't get sleep and the people in white come for me again. If feels like they left me for a few minutes. They put the mask back on and play my sister's Games the second time. I notice that when I am scared or terrified, after the tracker jacker venom is injected into my arm that things begin to shine, or shimmer. It wasn't as noticeable the first time they gave me a dose, but now it is. I try to remember if my sister's Games had anything shiny in them but I am dosed again and I completely forget about it once the fear is triggered again.

"The tests are going perfectly. A few more weeks and she'll be done. We're in the fifth week of trials." Weeks? How long have I been here? Days? Months? There's no way of telling time here. No one seems to be looking for me. I remain in a constant twilight, where I don't know if it's night or day and whether or not time passes by. I'm drugged for the most part, and I know I get moved often. I give up on anyone trying to search for me. Until one day where all the people are buzzing with excitement and one is preparing to get me out of the cell. President Snow bursts in and everyone panics.

"What is this? What are you doing?" The president's voice somehow brings relief, and I cry out in order to be heard. "Who is that? What have you done? You told me she will be tested on by the medicine that could relief stress and trauma. This isn't what you were supposed to do." I notice that the president is talking in a calm voice, but the people in white are terrified. I shrink when I hear the door to my cell open, but the one who opened it is the president. His towers over me and extends his hand. "Come, child. I will get you out of here." I'm tentative at first.

What if this is another hallucination? I've had many of those in my time here. After the first time I was dosed, I imagined my sister outside my cell telling she lived. Afterwards, many people I knew from the district and my allies in the arena came to me. They took turns, but I was visited every time after the testing was done. Most of them were shiny. "Are you real? Or are you a hallucination?" I ask the president. I try to notice anything off or weird about him. When I realize he is still waiting for my hand and that he doesn't shine, I clutch his hand with the few strands of strength I have left and let him take me away. He seemed to have ignored my questions. I wonder what took him so long. Didn't he know something could have gone wrong?

"How are you still alive? They must have tortured you." He sounds concerned.

"I don't know, sir. I just am." I croak. He takes me through a series of passages and staircases and corridors until we arrive in a room that looks a lot like the one that the doctors and medicine brought me back to pieces after the Games. Snow hands me over yet again, but he stays near us in case something goes amiss. I don't know why, but him staying with me makes me feel better.

Doctors tend to my scars and bruises. Something I did to myself whenever I tried to escape the cell or the restrains of the chair. They nurse me back to health in a couple of minutes. I thank them feebly and Snow takes me to the Remake Center and some unknown stylists help cover the eye shadows and visible agitation signs all over my face and body. I remember being put in a dress similar to the one I wore on the feast before my torture. After that, everything mashes together and becomes a blur.

I see a dash of a grand staircase and many colors. The president hands me over to the man in black who took me to him in the first place. The people are dancing. A table with many glasses and then Skene carrying me. A dull metallic grey and then a rocking motion underneath me. I feel asleep then. All those weeks and months deprived of sleep tired me and I settle into the comforts of sleep, lulled by the motion of something underneath.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: It's Tuesday! I bet no one was disappointed when it turned out there was no update from me. I'll keep on trying, then. ****The characters I may occasionally mention (Peeta, Katniss, Gale, ect.) belong to Suzanne Collins, not me.**

26 - Back Home

The next time I wake up to full consciousness is on the train ride home. That must have been the soothing lull that I feel asleep to. The moving train. A soft knock from the door makes me take my face from my hands and go open. I see the Avox that tended to me in the medical room after the Games. "Hello." I say. He nods softly. His eyes are sad. Sad to be away from the Capitol? Or sad for something else? "Come in." I tell him with a smile. He nods shyly, standing awkwardly. "Oh, come on. I give you permission." He gives a throaty laugh and comes inside and stands at the side but I pull his hand and drag him to the bed. He sits with me, quiet. "How long was I gone for?" I ask. He can write on a clipboard he carries.

'_What do you mean by gone?_'

"I was gone. I disappeared for weeks!" I hiss. I have always known the train had some form of recording technology to capture conversations and activity inside each car. "The president asked me to do something for him and I was tortured for weeks. Could have been months, I don't really know. Nobody noticed?" I let my voice drop when the Avox shakes his head.

'_No._'

How can no one notice the absence of the most recent victor when she was gone for some time and she didn't show up for the end of her tour in her district? How does no one notice that? I decide maybe the president called it off when I went missing. Or he told the media to say something else and not make the people panic. I don't know. "Hey, um, I don't want to keep calling you Avox. Don't get me wrong. You're my friend. But I want to call you by your name, you know? What's your name?"

He hesitates before drawing his chalk out and writing on the board. '_Emmett_'

"Emmett. What a lovely name. And I'm not being sarcastic. Why are you here? I mean, with me, anyways."

He hesitates again. '_President Snow wants you safe. He didn't know who else to send._' He stops to erase his board. I'm about to speak when I notice he's scribbling fast and I wait for him to finish. '_Many of the people that volunteered to take care of you were strangers. He wanted to pair you up with someone you knew._' He erases once more and writes one final time. '_He searched high and low in order to find me. Once he did, he knew we'd become friends in your time on the medical room. So he sent me with you._' He nods in order to tell me he's done. So the president wants me safe? From what? Being tortured again? Or it could be that he wants to see how I manage after this experience. If I go crazy. The latter has to be the correct answer. I feel the train begin to slow down. I peek outside, Emmett by my side.

'_Refuel?_'

"Most likely."

Just then, Pliny and the prep team come in. "We have to get you ready for your ceremony in District Five!"

"What are you talking about? That's still going to happen?"

"Of course it is, silly. Come on, let's scrub you. Tell the Avox to leave." Fir says excitedly.

"No! His name is Emmett. And if he doesn't stay, I'm not changing. Or doing anything you want." Even though I'm confused over why after such a long time of absence, I will still be allowed to finish the tour, I feel better with Emmett in the room.

"Let the Avox stay, Perla." Pliny scowls.

"His name is Emmett. Respect him."

But that's not an option, especially for someone like Pliny. A man who grew up wrapped in luxury and speechless servants to tend to his every need. The prep team gasps and Emmett hangs his head. I go over to him and take his chin, lifting his head in the process. He smiles shyly. It's what I like best about him.

"I will not treat an Avox like an equal! How dare you ask me to do such a thing? He is below me, nothing but a servant!" Pliny howls.

"Then call it off! I don't care if I go out looking like this! You'll be the laughed at. A stylist who's lost over his victor. Snow won't like this. Look at me not care. I will personally call him myself and tell him to fire you, you pathetic stylist! I want you to respect him or you get out of this train right now! Along with your pets!" I scream back. Emmett grips my shoulder to get my attention. He shakes his head no. "You deserve to be treated better. It's him or you and I choose you. You're my friend. I don't care if I get punished. I have enough experience there." Silence follows then.

"Have it your way then." Pliny leaves, shaking with anger. Fir and the rest of them have their hands to their mouths, eyes wide with shock.

"Just get out. Now." I tell them myself. They nod weakly and leave. "Help me choose something, Emmett?" He nods.

'_I am not very good with choosing clothes._'

"Oh, that's fine. I'm not good at it either." I pick a long sweater with buttons and a pair of slender, blue pants. The sweater is powder blue. It's long enough to go past my hips and it is extremely comfortable. It also has a hood. I wear a yellow shirt underneath it, and I lace up boots to go with the whole thing. I put my hair in a sloppy braid. "What do you think?"

Emmett grins and gives me a thumbs up. Then he flushes and looks away. I laugh. It's a true laugh, something I haven't done in a long time. '_What now?_'

"We go to the front of the train." The moment we settle down on the couch on the first car, we feel the train move again.

The district is excited to have me back. My parents look relieved, and it is the first sign that someone must have been worried for my long absence. As I start to think about it, I haven't seen Skene in the train at all. He must have stayed in the Capitol. In that torture room. "Emmett, who have you seen in the train with us?" I ask him as we stand in front of the crowd, waving and smiling.

'_Your escort, your stylist, your prep team and a man who I think is your mentor. Or was, anyways._'

"Skene is here?" I whisper softly, slightly mortified. Emmett nods. Then his head nudges me to look behind me. My eyes widen and then I turn. "Speak of a demon."

"What? Are you throwing nasty remarks now? Oh, so scared. Stop it, Rhymer. I am so afraid of you now."

"Stay away. Cameras are filming and I don't want to have to do anything to you."

"Wait. What are you talking about?" Skene drops the sarcasm and looks at me, slightly concerned.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't look concerned for me. It's insulting." I take Emmett's hand and get off the train, into the car. It's worse when the driver says we have to wait for the rest of my crew to climb on in order to move. I don't look at anyone for the whole ride to the Justice Building. All I do is hold Emmett's hand as tightly as I can without making his blood circulation stop. I am swarmed with reporters the moment I set foot outside the car.

"Great outfit! Who chose it for you?" One reporter almost trips while asking me. The crow behind his is going nuts, trying to get to me and ask me something.

"I chose it myself. My stylist is useless." The moment the second sentence leaves my mouth, I regret it. I know now I can't take the words back, but Pliny has been trying to make me feel good with him, and me saying something like this will only worsen our already awful communication.

"How was the party in the Capitol last night?"

Last night? I was gone for a long time and they want to make me think I wasn't gone? I immediately want to ask for the date, but I hold my tongue, think of asking Emmett later. I'm angry, but I know I can't let it show. No one ever really shows anything on camera. "It was fantastic. I couldn't ask for anything better." Except for the torture part, I think.

"Why are you with an Avox?"

"His name is Emmett," I snarl. "And that's none of your business."

"Back off!" Shouts a Peacekeeper. More Peacekeepers move forward to try to pacify the crowd of reporters. I'm finally able to enter the Justice Building. I stand with Emmett behind the front doors. It reminds me of how he stood by me before I was released to my prep team and Skene after I won the Games.

"Remember, Emmett?" I ask him, nudging his hand. He nods, a bright, yet sad smile on his face.

The doors open and I stand before my district. I walk to the microphone alone. Some people clap wildly and others cheer. Some smile, and only a few appear grim. After I'm presented with the plaque and the roses, Mrs. Rudolphine tells me to give a speech.

"I'm so glad to finally be home." I walk off them and the district remains silent, in shock, before returning their applause. I tell the Peacekeepers to close the door behind me and I pick up Emmett's hand again. "Let's go. I need to talk to the mayor about something." I walk to the stairs, climbing them slowly. I hear the front doors open again and I assume the mayor has entered the building. I'm halfway there when her voice makes me stop.

"Rhymer. Why was your speech so rude and short?" I spot the mayor at the bottom of the stairs. I walk to her, and before she can repeat her question, I interrupt her.

"I'm not feeling good. The president told me I could rest. If you want to proceed with the Victor's Banquet, let me know. I'll only stay a couple of minutes, but then I have to leave. I'm sick and not up for this." I tell her before she can reply, I walk back down the stairs and head home.

Emmett and I settle quickly. The phone rings then, and I reluctantly pick it up. "The mayor said she will still be following protocol and your Victory Banquet will be held later on this evening. We will send someone to pick you up in a few hours. Please be prepared as we will not be sending a stylist to help you with your outfit. Thank you!" The tone is dead after that and I put the receiver down.

"Are you ready for a party, Emmett?"

My house is the same as always, empty and familiar. With Emmett here, I know I won't be as lonely. I head upstairs and stop when I see three bright red suitcases in the living room. Someone was in my house. Before I begin to panic, Emmett comes up to me with his board.

'_I think those are mine. The president sent me with a few things. He told me to stay._' I smile then.

"Okay!" I take a suitcase and Emmett takes the other two. I put them in the room right next to mine. He grins then and writes on his board. He wants some time to unpack. I close the door quietly behind him and head into my own room.

I pick a simple yellow dress. Designs in the back crisscross across my back, intertwining a beautiful pattern. I pick black heels and undo the braid with my fingers. I quickly pass a brush through my hair and then pick it into a simple ponytail. I find a bag of cosmetics Pliny left behind and pick up the golden eyeliner. I also put simple lipstick on, barely noticeable.

"Emmett, are you ready?" I leave my room and knock on his door. A soft hum tells me to come in. I poke my head inside and see him looking at two different tuxedos. A silky red and a smooth black. He looks at them, confused, then looks at me, as if asking for help. "The black one." I say without hesitation. His dark green hair will go great with it. I help him into a dark green bow tie and then I brush my fingers through his hair. He blushes and I do too. I lace my arm in his and we go down the stairs together. Just then, Finch opens the door because of the knocking. It turns out to be Skene. My face drops. Emmett senses my change and grips my hand tightly.

"Rhymer, they sent a car over and -" Skene speaks. He has his hand extended, and he was looking behind his as he entered. Now that he's turned around, he sees I am already with a partner. "What is he doing here? Did you sneak an Avox here?"

I have to clear my voice several times and force myself to speak to him. I am terrified. "He came with me. He's a present from President Snow. And his lovely name is Emmett. He's been with me the whole time. I'm going with him. Thanks for your offer, but I'm going with Emmett."

"No you're not. I have to tell you something."

"Then tell me now."

"It has to be done at the ceremony."

"Then I'll most likely not do it if you don't tell me know." I say, straining. This is too much, talking to Skene.

"Rhymer." Skene tells me in a warning tone.

"No. I'm just going with Emmett. Goodbye." I pull Emmett with me and we walk down the steps together. He holds the door open for me and then goes inside. The whole car ride, I talk with him, and he nods excitedly and uses his hands a lot. I end up leaning my head on his shoulder and gripping his hand tightly. I seem to be doing that too often. I seem to feel better with him. He just makes me feel good and happy and safe. Like I'm allowed to have fun. Two broken things being each other's rocks and rays of hope. Emmett told me he felt better being with me on the train ride home. I remember feeling like I was something after he wrote it on his board. We always seek each other out and find comfort. I never had anyone to rely on before him. It's a wonderful feeling.

"You made it. Good. And you brought your pet." The mayor greets us.

"Excuse you!?" I form a fist with the hand that's not holding on to Emmett's. "He's not my or anyone's _pet_. He's my best friend. You don't talk to him like that. Ever. Apologize." I snarl.

"Alright. I'm sorry. There's no need to be aggressive, Rhymer. Did Skene tell you what to do?"

"No, he didn't have time. Do I have to do something specific?"

"Just greet the district officials."

"Really? That sounds so tiring. I'll do it if I'm allowed to be with Emmett the whole time."

"Granted. Stand by the door. Look happy and lively. Thank you."

I know that after this, I won't have to suffer through another dinner or appearance in a long time. I will be left to rest until the next Games. _The next Games_. What will next year's Games mean for me? Mentoring. But who? Every single kid in this district is a possibility. That terrifies me a lot.

The greeting of officials goes by quickly. I stay a few hours afterwards. I go through the same odyssey I went through the past week. Pictures, a small speech and a few gifts here and there. I even tell a story and most of the people present go head over heels to just listen to me. As I'm leaving, I get a few requests to stay, and I pretend to not be feeling well in order to be allowed to leave. I grasp Emmett's hand tightly the entire time. He turns out to be very authoritative, even though he cannot speak. It was thanks to him that people didn't crowd around me.

We head home quickly. I collapse in my bed, exhausted from the Tour and its end. I sigh contently and change into a light grey cotton shirt and same colored fleece pants. I undo my ponytail and let my hair down. My eyes close the moment my head hits the pillow. All the exhaustion of the tour has left me bone tired, and I'm grateful I'm finally allowed to rest nonstop.

I dream I'm in a lush green meadow. Bright, colorful flowers dot the edges, forming a ring in various hues. Daisies, tulips, petunias, rues, roses, and many more kinds make me catch my breath – their beauty is indescribable. Towering trees also surround me, and although they are majestically tall, they don't block the sun. The grass is various lengths high and the short grass tickles my bare feet. I walk, occasionally extending my arm out to brush my fingertips with the tall grass. I walk across the beautiful meadow and stop when I see a dark path off to one side of my beautiful meadow. Twisted trees obscure a rundown path. The branches crisscross and dark the path even more. I feel something negative emanating from the path, and I decide to not go down that way. I turn away, and once I do, the meadow is no longer beautiful. Scorched, black spots still smolder. Fire had consumed my little, beautiful meadow. Who would want to destroy such beauty? I shut my eyes tightly and press the palms of my hands to them, expecting to find the beautiful meadow when I open them again. I did look away the first time. When I open them, there are now graves. I scream. I cover my mouth with shaking hands and head over to the tombstones. The names are clear and easy to read.

_Daniela Edenthaw_

_Lartius Baxwoll_

_Valeria Lapworth_

_Skene Herriot_

_Ashby Lockhearst_

Everyone I love and care about is here. My parents a close too. _Here_. Why are they here? Am I here too? I spot a stone that has no name. I come close and I see a hole in the ground, empty, waiting for the next death. A cold, icy hand reaches for me and I run, heading down the dark road.

Thick bushes with few leaves but many thorns cut my legs and feet. I see light at the end, and the faster I run to meet it, the further away it goes. I drop to the floor, tired and bruised. Just then, I hear a scream coming from somewhere in the woods. And although I've never heard it, I know who it is.

"Emmett!" I'm shaken awake. I screamed in the dream, but also in real life. I tend to do that. I rub my eyes and see a concerned Emmett sitting on the bed. He sits with his legs crossed and bare feet, arms extended in case I react more. I go to him, and I curl up in his chest, unaware that he has no shirt, just his shorts, and I'm covered in a cold sweat. Yet, he doesn't protest. We stay there, comfortably together. He pulls my sheets over us and we're warm. A knock on the door makes us look at each other, and I forget that Finch has the keys and she must have come early today because the door opens, someone comes inside and then they're coming up the stairs. I pull away from Emmett and lock the door. "Thank you." He nods. I see him in shorts. Then I look down at myself. "Oh." He grins. I start laughing, him with me. The knock on my door makes me stop laughing and go to the closet to change out of my sticky clothes. I open the door for Emmett and he goes to his room; that's when I catch Skene.

"Sorry to bother you," he looks away, uncomfortable. "I'll come back some other time."

"No, what do you want?" I ask him in a strained voice.

"You seem to hate me now? Look, I've notice you've been acting differently ever since we got back from the Capitol. I just want to know why. Even though I'm no longer your mentor, remember that we told each other we had trust between us and that we were friends. I'm concerned about you, and all you seem to do lately is push me away. Friendships aren't just thrown out a window, you know?"

"Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to know why I'm don't want you as my friend anymore. And I have Emmett. He's been a better friend in the last couple of days then you ever were this whole time. Now, out!" I start pushing him lightly, away from me. I can't believe he still wants to pretend he wasn't there, when he did all those things to me…

"Rhymer, you're not like this. What's going on?"

"Just go. Before I say things I'll regret. Or maybe not. Just leave. Please." I decide to shove him hard then. I have to make him leave one way or another. Emmett and Finch come to my aid and help me kick him out. Emmett slams the door in his face.

"Well, that wasn't easy, now, was it?" I joke.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: A late update means more chapters together. Here's Chapter 27. I can't believe we're so close to 30!**

27 - Mentoring My First Games

The months pass and I spend a lot of time inside my house. I paint, I play the piano, but most importantly, I spend time with Emmett. After a week of being home with me, we sit and he tells me, with his board, about his life before being an Avox. Then he tells me about how he was treated before he met me. And I cry when he does. He was enslaved for not wanting to give up his sister to be made a stylist for future tributes.

"What was her name?"

_Effie. Effie Trinket. Of course, she kept our last name. But she wasn't made a stylist like they promised her. She wrote me a letter, and she was upset. She told me she was made an escort for District Twelve. She told me she was crushed, but I told her she was lucky to see the light. I had to spend most of my time fixing up tributes. They took her when she was six, and I haven't seen her since. She's younger than me, you know. By four years. I had to take care of her on my free time, as our parents ran the makeup department store below our house. When I refused to give Effie up, my parents got angry and after I'd reached the correct age, handed me over to the Peacekeepers. I was placed on a table and... Before I knew it, my tongue was gone. I was placed back in the medical room, but I could no longer speak. I had no sister and my parents treated me for what I had become. An Avox._

"That's not okay. Why would they give you up like that? You're their son!"

_Well, try telling that to them. They think I'm dead, most likely. I'm also sure my sister doesn't remember me anymore. She never wrote again. Snow made me a deal. If I came here with you, I would be free from my parents. I took it in a heartbeat. Partially, because of my parents. But also, because you are my friend, and you are the first person that ever took notice of me. I'm glad we are both here, free from the Capitol._

"Me too, Em. Me too."

But that conversation was a long time ago. Now, there's barely a week left for the next Games to begin, and I have to go back. Even if it's just to mentor, I have to go back. There are rare days where I'm able to trick my mind into thinking there's nothing wrong and I live a good life. But when I can't do that, and I remember what I had to do in order to get here, I don't sleep. The moment I close my eyes, nightmares grip me tightly and as hard as I try, they don't let me go. I also start to hallucinate more often too. If I was hallucinating before the Victory Tour, now I'm living in them. I'm walking down the street when I suddenly get this urge that mutts or another tribute is behind me, waiting for me to be distracted enough to attack. Unknown faces are a danger to me, and I have to constantly be on the lookout. The more time I spend outdoors, the more I get the sensation that I'm being followed. That everyone wants me dead. I can't live forever in hiding, and I know I have to go out, but I'm scared. Emmett, who sees me cracking down every day, stops doing whatever he is doing at the moment to comfort me. After a while, he does nothing at all except tend to me. I wonder if I can take him with me to the Capitol.

The morning of the reaping for the 73rd Games, I don't want to get up. But now that I'm a mentor, I have to be there earlier than everyone else. I have to be in the Justice Building with the male mentor and the escort and the mayor and everyone else there. A few minutes after I wake up, I hear a couple of noises coming from downstairs and I panic, not even thinking it might be Emmett down there. Before I can get up, several pairs of running footsteps come up the stairs. I grab the knives from under my bed and crouch there, look over the bed with only my forehead visible. The several pairs of footsteps stop in front of my door. An intense shining light comes under the door. The door springs open and I raise my arm to my eyes to cover them from the bright light. Althea, Majoris, Pleione and all the other tributes I personally killed come at me.

They're not dead. That's when I start throwing the knives and try to avoid looking at them at the same time, because they are shining too brightly. I hear the knives clattering to the floor, and I know I've missed. That's odd. I _never_ miss. I decide to use the last knife in my hand for Althea, and my unawareness of this not being real is wiped off my mind. She's the one who worries me the most; she was so savage in the arena. I watched her die without doing anything. She hates me. I grip the knife and using all my strength, I aim for Althea and let go. I see the knife pass through her without her even caring to see. An intense pain begins to form on my head, and I scream due to the pain. I bring my hands to my head and hold myself there. I curl up on the floor and even with my eyes closed, I can see the light coming off from the dead tributes standing before me. Suddenly, the lights start to diminish, and I open one eye to see what's going on. It's Emmett, and he's not shining. Althea raises her spear and I fling myself at Emmett, to protect him from Althea. Emmett grunts, but I ignore it, still seeing Althea above us, ready to strike.

"Go away!" I scream at her. Emmett tries to get me off. He pinches me and I wince in pain. I look over to him, then back at Althea, snapping my head back and forth. She's gone. I get up, confused. How did she disappear so fast? Emmett gets up slowly, giving me a worried look. He picks up his board, which I knocked away from him when I threw myself on top of him, and hands it to me, rubbing his elbow.

_Breakfast is ready. Thought you ought to know._

"That was you downstairs? You were making the noise?"

He nods and gives me a weird look. Now that I realize, the only person who wasn't shining was Emmett. I put this to the back of my mind when my stomach growls.

_You might be late. Let's eat breakfast and go to the Justice Building as soon as we can. Come on. Your stomach is growling._

"Yes. Let me get dressed." I dress quickly, putting on a green and blue stripped cardigan and blue jeans. I grab a pair of boots and head down. Emmett laughs when he sees me. "What?" He points to me, then his hair, then back at me. "What?" He rolls his eyes, still laughing and takes me to the living room and puts me in front of the mirror. I burst out laughing too. My hair is a mess, and since I was doing things quickly, I forgot to brush it. I run up to my room and grab the brush. It's on my way out that I notice the mess I made when I was throwing my knives. A few are stuck in the wall and my side of the door. Others are littered on the floor. Even though nobody's in the room with me, I blush deeply. Why would I make this mess? I sigh and pull the knives from the wall and the door. I pick up the ones on the floor and stash all of them under my bed. I head back down and using the mirror in the living room, I put my hair in a bun. Emmett eats with me and we rush out the door.

My view of the reaping is different this year. I'm no longer a part of the crowd, the audience. I am now a part of the spotlight. I don't like it at all. Winnow kisses me when she sees me and then sits in between me and Skene. Emmett stands behind me. I try to get someone to get a chair for him but he refuses politely.

I see the girls and boys file in, some with gins in their faces, other grim. Some enter with friends, others alone. The chatter is low, but many of the kids, seem to not want to be alone throughout the event. I know how that feels. Standing alone, waiting to see if you're reaped or not. The mayor does her speech once everyone has filed in. As she's finishing, Winnow squeals excitedly and squeezes my arm. She smiles when her name is called and she bounces on her feet as she walks to the microphone. Since it's been a few months that I haven't spoken to Skene, when Winnow leaves, there's an intense silence between us. I feel Emmett put his hand on my shoulder and I place mine on top of his.

"Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor! Ladies first." Winnow says onto the microphone, not pausing, and goes to the girl's bowl. From my seat, I can practically see the whole square, and up and down the rows of girls, I see some hold hands with their relatives, their friends, their neighbors, anyone. The older girls don't do anything out of stubbornness, but I know they don't want to be picked. "This year's girl tribute is Jena Rumble. Does anyone volunteer as tribute?" I turn to see John in the crowd and he looks angrily at Winnow. I begin to dread that John will volunteer to be with his cousin. "The boys." Winnow walks to the boys bowl and pulls out a paper after scrambling the papers at the bottom. "This year's boy tribute is Richard Wate. Does anyone volunteer?"

I hear the inevitable. "I volunteer!" I see John raising his fist in the air, and I look away, crying a little onto Emmett's arm. I know the cameras are focused on John. Emmett pats my back and I wipe my tears before facing the crowd again. I see John climb the stage and shake hands with his cousin. Another speech is recited by the mayor and then John and Jena shake hands again. Skene and I raise up to greet them and head into the Justice Building. Skene and I go to the lobby while John and Jena are taken to separate rooms to get their goodbyes. An hour passes in silence as we wait, and once it's done, we take the car to the train. Once again, I see my district shrink away.

We make it to the Capitol in a couple of hours. I stay in my room the whole time. I eat inside, with Emmett. I only come out when the reapings are about to be shown on screen. I sit next to Jena, who smiles at me weakly.

"I'll help you as much as I can, trust me." I tell her sincerely. I look at John, who sits across from me, and he nods at me quickly before Jena can see. We all turn our attention to the screen when Winnow chirps that it's time. Upon looking at the tributes, I have an idea of who will be the competition. District One, Two, and Four look strong this time around. Twelve looks easily avoidable, as does Eleven and Ten. The rest of the districts, including ours, look in between.

"We'll talk about training when we arrive at the Capitol later. For now, if you're tired, go to rest. The prep team will want to do several things with you." Skene tells the Rumbles. They both nod and get up to go. I do the same. Skene tries to stop me but one look from Emmett keeps him at bay.

We head to the end compartment and I immediately wish I hadn't. I try to blink him away, but Lartius is there, standing in the middle of the car, shining brightly. I turn around, seeking Emmett, but he's no longer there. "Emmett." I whisper. "Emmett." I see Lartius coming towards me, and I try to open the door. It doesn't budge. I hit the door with my fist repeatedly, and I stop when it doesn't feel solid. It feels soft and tender.

"You let me die." Lartius' voice echoes in my head and I try to control myself.

I remember Emmett pinching me in order to get my attention. I pinch myself, and the shine, along with Lartius, gradually goes away. I open my eyes to realize Emmett is on the floor, clutching his face. "Emmett!" I yell for a Capitol attendant and ask for bandages and some cotton. When that's brought over, I tend to Emmett. He uses his board to tell me what happened.

_One minute you were fine and then the next, your pupils were large and you started crushing your head between your hands and you whispered my name. I came up to you to try to calm you but you started hitting me and it got weird. You said you didn't let him die and then you pinched yourself. Your pupils went back to normal after that. Are you okay?_

"Yes, I'm fine. Have you noticed that things have been shiny lately?" I receive a worried look from him.

When we arrive at the Capitol, Jena and John are taken to the Remake Center while Skene and I go straight to the district's floor. I wonder how Pliny will dress Jena. I guess I'll have to wait to see. Winnow turns the television on and I see the Tribute Parade like my mentors saw it last year.

Children dressed in jewels and with hammers, others in light bulbs and dressed as trees. Some are covered in wheat and others in flowers. Some have pearls and others have animal patterns in them. Our district has lab coats on, hard hats included. But that's not as bad as District 12, who are wearing nothing. They are covered in black dust; coal dust. I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing. President Snow gives a speech and then everyone returns to the Training Center. Skene and I make our way down on the elevator. I make Emmett stay behind. I hug both John and Jena and tell them they did great. John thinks I'm being sarcastic, but I tell him I'm not.

The Rumbles head to their rooms to clean up while Skene and I go to the dining room and get ready to eat. John comes before Jena, but he waits for her to catch up. Once everyone is on the table, including Emmett and the stylists, food is placed all around the table and we eat. Some of the Avoxes look weirdly at Emmett until I tell them to back off.

_They look at me differently because I used to be like them and now they serve me as if I were superior._

"Oh. Well... They should still not treat you like that." I say while one Avox walks by and tries to hit Emmett. "Back off!" I yell and the Avox looks down, angry. "I'll report you, you know!" I tell the Avox's back.

_Forget it, Rhymer. Let's just eat._

When we finish eating, we all go the living room to watch the recap of the Tribute Parade. Jena is nervous, but I tell her she did great. John smiles at me. We see all the kids waving around. The most intimidating ones are the Careers. Typical. Jena and John don't scare, but they don't look weak either. Since Jena has a natural beautiful face, there's a possibility of sponsors. I know that if John fights hard to get sponsors, he'll direct them to his cousin. When the program is done, we all say goodnight and then head to our rooms. Nobody bothered to get Emmett one. I knew they wouldn't. His previous status here in the Capitol denied him of having anything decent. I pull him into my room – naturally.

The next three days are for John and Jena to prepare for the arena. They ask me for advice. I tell them to not be afraid to try anything, and to hit as many stations as possible and see which weapon is the best for each. Approach possible allies and pick up as many skills as possible.

"Be a sponge. Pick up everything." I tell them both as we finish breakfast and they make their way to the elevator. "Good luck!"

"Skene, wait." Jena calls out. Skene comes to the elevator. "Some advice?"

"No, not really. Rhymer covered everything. She's a great mentor. Listen to her." And with that, he leaves. Jena gives me a confused look. I shrug and frown, pressing the button at the bottom of the panel and then stepping out of the elevator.

"See you soon. Don't be scared!" I say as the doors close. Winnow sits on the living room, the television on. I go with Emmett, but get called on by the District 1 mentors from last year before I can disappear into my room.

"You must be Rhymer." The man tells me with a huge smile.

"Yes, I am. Gloss, am I right?" I smile back as I shake his hand.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"You sent a parachute to one of my allies when I was in the arena."

"Daniela." He tells me somberly.

"That's it. It was Danny." After I say that, there's some silence. We bow our heads. So far, the girl mentor hasn't spoken

He speaks a few minutes later. "Well, I'm not here to talk about her. I want to see if your tributes this year are good enough."

"To team them up with yours?"

"Exactly. Well, for now, we have to see how they do. I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Of course. Of course. I'll talk with you tomorrow, then."

"Great," he flashes me another smile. "And Rhymer, other mentors will talk with you, not just me. You'll decide who's a better ally then."

"Alright. Until tomorrow." I raise my hand to wave goodbye. The girl talks with the boy as soon as they're in the elevator. Not ten minutes later, the mentors from District 2 come to speak with me.

"You're the newest out of all of us. You will be sought out. I assume Gloss and Cashmere have spoken with you already." I'm taken aback by how formal and low Brutus sounds.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I say about the first thing he tells me. That makes the woman, Enobaria, laugh. "Gloss came to me some minutes before you two arrived. I don't think Cashmere is the talking type."

"Then you know what this is about, right?"

"Yes, I know. Allies. I'll talk to my tributes. I told them yesterday to not be afraid to approach anyone. I hope they weren't intimidated by your tributes or anybody else." I adopt Brutus' manner and get to the point of the conversation.

"My tributes aren't intimidating." Enobaria chuckles. Her pointy teeth make me uncomfortable. I visibly cringe. "Oh, these bad boys?" She says while opening her mouth and touching the tips of her teeth like it's nothing. "They are... an _extra_ gift for winning my Games. I ripped a kid's throat out without these. It suited me to get them sharpened afterwards."

"Then they do suit you." I tell her with a nod. "Who will come for District Four?" As if on cue, the elevator chimes and out comes a tall, bronze haired guy and a small, athletic girl that have the District 4 look. The tans and the crinkles around their eyes for squinting too much at the sun.

"We'll be going, Rhymer. Talk with Finnick Odair and Coral Reed. They're from District Four, if you can't tell." Brutus tells me as he and Enobaria get into the elevator. I wave goodbye and get a solid nod.

"Rhymer. Rhymer. Rhymer Lockhearst. Did you enjoy it?" Finnick asks me in a soft, crooning voice. It's silky and very sensual, and I find myself leaning towards him in anticipation. The way he says my name is so different from anything I've ever heard before. It makes me feel tingly but slightly confused about him. His name rings a bell, but I don't know how. I've never met the guy, seen his Games, or sat down with anyone and have him in our conversation.

"Finnick, stop." Coral says. "We didn't come here to flirt. We came to talk about other _pressing_ matters. Like our tributes."

Just then, Skene enters. "I'll take care of these, Rhymer. You go to your room. I think Emmett is waiting for you." I don't object. There's something about Finnick...

The next few days, Jena and John make friends with the kids from 11 and 12. I try to convince them to get somebody else, but they refuse. I get Gloss and Brutus down my throat but Finnick tells them that despite me being the mentor, the tributes are the ones to have the final word on who they'll ally themselves with. Johanna Mason almost slaps everybody in the room, including her mentor buddy – Blight – if it weren't for Finnick who's there to restrain her. She rolls her eyes most of the time and then asks if she can leave because if she stays any longer, she'll become as stupid as us. I like her.

Chaff and Seeder, the mentors for 11, come to me at the end the last training day and thank me for letting my tributes know they should make allies. Well, it's mostly Seeder who talks, because they also brought Haymitch, and he's clinging on to Chaff while they pass a small bottle back and forth.

The private sessions are easy for Jena and John. Both come up with a 7, and although that is not good, it's not bad either. They have potential, but because of their score, they will be overlooked. I hope Brutus and Gloss don't make their tributes savages. We all rest for a day and then its interviews. I tease both of my tributes and then see that the one who will have trouble onstage will be John. I dedicate half of the day to Jena and the other to John. Winnow helps me a lot, as does Skene, and soon, John has an angle and so does Jena. I see they are exhausted, so I let them rest. The next morning, Pliny and Berwin dash around while trying to get both kids ready in their outfits in time for the interview.

After the interview comes the hard part. Jena cries that she doesn't know what she'll do. She's scared but she's thankful I helped her so much. I'm moved to tears. John gives me a hug and whispers in my ear.

"Please, please, please do whatever you can to take her back home. Promise me." To not give him away, I pull away and rest my hand on his cheek while I nod at him.

I'm the one who takes Jena to Pliny the next morning. "Don't be rude to her." I joke. She gives me a watery grin and runs to hug me one last time. "Good luck, Jena." She whimpers. Once that's said and done, all Skene and I can do is sit down in front of the television and wait for the Games to begin.

Skene and I spend the next month walking around sponsors and other rich people in order to convince them that our tributes are worth it. John dies two weeks after the Games begin. The only good thing was that Jena wasn't with him at the time, and he was with the boys from Districts 11 and 12. A few days later, Jena dies because of an infection. Skene and I managed to get her a sponsor, but the girl from 11, her last ally, took off with her medicine. I screamed at Seeder that day, and Finnick and Skene had to hold me back. Johanna started talking to me after that. She told me there was no point on stressing myself. You never truly know people until you're in a life or death situation.

The winner was a kid from District 2, a boy named Jacob. Brutus grinned like a wild idiot and Enobaria was laughing with glee. Everybody else was too sad or too angry and too full of emotions to even speak. Once we found out who the winner was, everyone else was allowed to go home. The train ride back to district 5 was awfully quiet and lonely. That night, my only companion is Emmett.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Take care guys, thank you for reading this awful story and until next Tuesday!**

28 - I Mentor My Second Games

John's parents came up to me and hugged me the minute I set foot on the District 5 station. "I don't know how to thank you for how much you did for him. I know you wouldn't of have let him die. Thank you."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help him as much as I wanted to." I tell Mrs. Rumble. She only sobbed silently.

The next months, I sit at home, feeling like a failure, because I had tried so hard to get at least one of them here. I do my best to erase their deaths from my mind, but of course, I dream about them. Same as always, Emmett shakes me awake and comforts me before the dreams get too harsh. I sit through Jacob's Victory Tour, and when he comes here, I have to be restrained in a room inside the Justice Building. I make them bring Emmett to me.

After the Victory Tour, I have no option but to wait for the next Games. And when they come, it's even worse than the first Games I mentored. Because the girl tribute is my groundkeeper, Finch. The boy, Jake, I wouldn't care for him as much. He's a kid from one for the rich electricians. I know he has some kind of skill. Finch is different.

On the train ride to the Capitol, we all sit together and watch the reapings. The kids from District 1 seem proud of being there. Glimmer and Marvel. For 2, a girl named Clove and there's this strong, tall boy named Cato. He volunteered. District 3 is a girl named Kate and a boy named Ian. For District 4, Marina and little boy named Jackson. District 5 is us. Then for District 6 it's Layla and Jason. District 7 has Era and Howell. District 8 is Martha and Ross. District 9, Anna and Lester. District 10 has Kristen and Ryan. District 11 is another little child, but for this district, it's the girl, Rue. The boy is tall and bulky – Thresh. By the time they get to 12, I'm bored. I'm about to get up when they call a girl alike Rue, but a white, blonde version of her; Primrose. Then we hear a dark, tall girl, alike so many of the people of 12, volunteer for her. I see they have no similarities, but then the escort for 12 calls her up and asks her name.

"Katniss. She's my sister." Her face is strong and firm, and I can tell she has trained herself to not be emotional. The camera focuses on the escort again and I get confused by the fact that, even with all the makeup, her eyes are familiar to me. A light tap makes me turn around.

_That's my sister._

"Oh, Emmett." I turn to look at the screen then, and Effie is clapping, trying to get the district to clap for Katniss, but they don't. They stand silent. Then the entire district raises their hands, and together, they show a symbol with their fingers. The reporters laugh and then explain that District 12 is still old fashioned. I pay close attention to the symbol, which looks more like a salute of sorts. Three fingers out, while the thumb and pinky are folded in, one on top of the other. Katniss nods and then stands silent while the people put their hands down and wait for the boy to be reaped. It's a blonde boy, like Primrose. Blue eyes and white skin; Peeta. Nobody volunteers for him. I can tell he works out somehow. He looks strong. Not like Cato, but he looks like he does something.

After the reapings, I shut myself up in my car. Thinking on it, I admire Katniss. She was so brave to volunteer for her sister like that. When my sister was reaped, I was a coward. I did nothing to stop it, and I had the power to do so. Katniss was exactly like me, yet, she knew she had to save her sister, something I chose to ignore. I know I could have pulled myself away from all that shock and helped my sister out.

The same ordeal happens this time around. Mentors come and get me, and try to convince me to ally my tributes with theirs. I know Finch is a person that works alone, so I tell them that I'll think about it, but I tell Finch to do whatever she likes. She sees I am stressed out over her being chosen, so she doesn't push me far. I let Skene worry about Jake. The tribute parade makes them look funny, like some dish plate, but according to Pliny, and the commentators, they are picking up light to transform it into energy. I don't question Pliny, but I tell him he's slacking on his outfits. That gets him so angry, he stops talking to me for a day. The tributes that impress everyone with their parade outfit are the ones from 12. They seem to be on fire and the crowd screams its approval. The girl, Katniss, seems pleased to be there. I notice they're holding hands, and I wonder if they're friends or something else.

Finch tells me that the Career kids are getting more brutal than ever. The boys weld spears and swords like if it were an extension of their arm. The girls do the same, but with knives and arrows. Finch tells me laughing that the girl from 12 ties knots all day.

"Why would she do that?" Jake asks, confused.

"It's a strategy, most likely. Some mentors think that everyone should keep their talents hidden until the actual Games. When they go into their private session, they show what they have to the Gamemakers and we would know only until they get that weapon in the arena. It's clever, but predictable. She'll probably have good skills with a spear or something. Just you wait and see." I can tell Jake is not convinced, but Finch believes me wholeheartedly.

Their private sessions go by quickly, and Finch seems a little confident with what she's done. I tell her to not be, and when she gets a five, I almost scream in anger. "Why would you get such a low score if you said you knew what you were doing!?" I do my best to calm down. She'll never get sponsors like this.

"I got a low score on purpose." She tells me like its completely normal.

"You should have consulted that with us. You won't get sponsors with that score. Did you think about that?" I don't scream the second time around, but anger is still evident in my tone. I want her to win. She won't like this, though.

"I won't need sponsors, trust me." She tells me, still calm herself.

I let the subject drop then, knowing she's stubborn. I can't beat her in her own game. I learned that the hard way.

The tribute interviews go by in a flash. Finch's interview is not like I expected it. I remember telling her to choose an angle and work on it. We discussed 'impressed' and several others, but she went with knowledgeable in the end, something I told her to avoid. Jake does an impressed angle, and then the interviews are spiced up by the tributes from 12; again. Katniss twirls around in her dress and once again is on fire. Her stylist has amazing talent in making the crowd focus on her. Peeta is the last one to take the stage, and he is so likeable that you can tell the crowd is instantly hooked. Towards the end of the interview, Caesar wants to know if he likes someone, like he did with Althea. Peeta breaks the crowd when he says he's in love with Katniss and there's no point in winning because she came to the Games with him. I'm sitting with the crowd, and I'm baffled myself. Is that why they were holding hands?

The morning of the Games, I wish Finch good luck and she thanks me for all I did for her back in District 5. "I'm sorry!" I cry as she leaves with Pliny. This year's arena is woods with a nice lake to one side and a horrid plain across it. The moment the gong goes off, tributes scramble about, trying to get anything they can. I notice Peeta hides in the woods and then comes back to join the Careers. Jake dies the first day, along with ten other tributes. I watch day by day as Finch survives by stealing and sneaking around practically everyone.

Its clear Peeta wants to protect Katniss, and while the Careers try to hunt her down, Peeta does his best to throw them off of her. The big break comes when they finally catch her under a tree and she throws a nest of tracker jackers on them the following morning. Peeta helps her escape from Cato and is injured in the process. Katniss allies herself with the little girl, Rue, and then manages to destroy the Career's supplies. Then Rue is killed. That's when Claudius announces that two tributes will be allowed to win if they're from the same district. I groan then. How unfair! They changed the rule because of two tributes from _District 12_? Katniss then finds Peeta and kisses him, finally sealing their love story. I doubt Katniss, but I guess she has to do something in order to survive. I notice Finch then. I hadn't seen her being filmed much, as the Gamemakers seemed so focused on Katniss and Peeta. Finch is nestled near them, knowing how Katniss seems so good with a bow. She's picking up things, seeing if they're safe or not to eat due to the lovers pick of food.

Finch makes the mistake of trusting everything Peeta's picking up. Because she sees some berries and eats. In some minutes, she's dead. I wonder what kind of berries they are. District 5 doesn't have woods to explore. It's a miracle Finch made it to the final eight tributes. In the end, it's Cato, Thresh, Peeta, and Katniss. Cato takes Thresh down, something I thought would be almost impossible to do. Cato dies too, eaten alive by some mutts who run together but look weird, because they seems to be smart enough to walk on two legs and have different kinds of fur, as if they were allies from different tribes.

When Claudius announces that the rule change was fake, Katniss convinces Peeta to swallow the berries, which she explained when Finch died that they were nightlock, some deadly, poisonous berry. They both win, because Claudius interrupts them from killing themselves. But what Katniss has done... It's different. She didn't want Peeta to die, and I could tell it wasn't for love. I mean, she was so smart about it, but some things can't be faked. Not to that extend. When they are interviewed, Katniss finds it hard to explain why she wanted to save Peeta, and I can tell she's so lost. She mumbles and stumbles through the entire interview, and if it weren't for Peeta, her story wouldn't even be real.

When I get to District 5, I go to Finch's house and drop off some money. I tell her father that I will help him out monthly and he kisses my hand in gratitude.

I get angry with the Capitol when they spin Katniss and Peeta's story into an act of star-crossed lovers. But then I think of something else. Katniss has now defied the Capitol. And if she's not punished, this can mean something entirely different. By not wanting to let Peeta die, she let the Capitol know that she wasn't going to stand by and let them win. She was going to win herself. I see that in saving her sister, she also managed to save Peeta, and by doing that, she shows she can't be controlled by the Capitol. A tiny flame of hope flares up in me, and I know that Katniss is someone to look up to. She's setting something in motion. And I? I want to be a part of it.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: College has been harsh to me! I am so sorry I haven't updated. And I fell behind on my writing too. So this week is only one chapter. I'm so so sorry, you guys. I hope you forgive me!**

29 - The Reading of the Card

If I thought the Capitol spent too much time on me when I won my Games, hell was I wrong. I know that after the first month, I'm sort of bored by the star-crossed lovers. Peeta and Katniss' faces are everywhere, and although I know the people in the Capitol will be bubbling over them, all I know is that I'm getting tired. They kiss and smile for the cameras many times, but something about Peeta tells me there's something wrong. Of course, I would know he's faking something. I am an expert in that field. But the star-crossed lovers don't stop making noise until after two more months.

Since they won, that means Victory Tour for them. When I think about it, whatever they were able to fake, they should be able to perfect to in these upcoming months that they have for themselves. I know that's what I would do. When we all sit down to watch the Tour begin, its starts with a full on kiss. Twelve at this time of year is coated in snow, and Katniss and Peeta kiss under snowflakes, covered in furs and – in Katniss' case – lipstick. They kick off with 11, and their speeches are very short. All the while, they recite speeches from cards and wave at the people. But unlike me, most of the people are hostile towards them. Many districts demand they show more than what they're letting on. Many, like me, don't really believe the love story. I notice the most hostile district is 3. They riot against the Peacekeepers, pushing back when they're being restrained. They yell Katniss' name over and over, fury evident in their tones. I wonder why they're like that. Is it because she doesn't want to claim her place? She appears to be wanting to calm the rowdy districts down. It doesn't seem to be working.

By the time they make it to the Capitol, I don't want to see them on screen anymore. I leave my television on, and sleep on the couch. I miss Finch walking around my house, and outside on the grounds. The new groundkeeper is very different from her. He doesn't even talk to me, only grunts. Emmett's sitting down next to me, and in case someone comes to the door, he'll wake me up and we'll pretend to be watching the tour. Except Emmett doesn't wait for someone to knock. He shakes me urgently, as if something were wrong.

"What's happening? Something wrong?" I slur my words, rubbing the sleep off my face. Emmett's head nudges towards the television. Caesar Flickerman is bubbling with excitement. "Emmett, I don't want to see this." I groan. But then Caesar says something that completely grabs my attention and makes me shut up.

"There's a new twist in the star-crossed love affair. Let's take a look!" And on the screen, Peeta is getting down on one knee and is proposing to Katniss. She acts excited and says yes. I stare at the screen, Emmett sitting quietly next to me. _Is this real? She's going to marry him. For what? What does that accomplish?_ I saw her act excited, meaning that despite their reclusive months without cameras, they didn't fix whatever fake relationship they were hoping to establish. _She's trying to help someone. Or herself. Or to protect someone._ She's fighting Snow, in her own way. But it doesn't seem right.

Two months and several weeks after the tributes from 12 have announced their engagement, the Capitol hosts a special event in which the people of the Capitol are allowed to vote on their favorite wedding dress for the Everdeen girl. It comes down to a long, silky looking gown with many pearls. At the end of the segment, Caesar asks us to keep on watching because another special announcement is sure to come. His words are reassured when President Snow comes on screen, tailed by a young, fair skinned boy dressed all in white. A box rests on the boy's hands and they both stand still as the anthem of Panem plays. Once the anthem is over, the president makes a speech about the Dark Days and how the Hunger Games and the Quarter Quells came to be. After his speech, he tells of previous Quells. "On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children are dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it." I try to imagine having to pick people to go represent us. I shudder. Friends and families must have ended up turning against each other.

"On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes." Here I whimper. If it was hard enough to face an arena with twenty-three other contestants, how hard would it be to have it multiplied by twice as many? Less chances of survival were for sure.

The president continues. "And now we honor our third Quarter Quell," the little boy takes a single step towards the president, opening the box as he goes. The cameras capture the box full of envelopes. It's clear they plan on hosting many more Games and Quells to come. We see an envelope marked with a _75_ tightly clasped in the president's hand. He opens it and takes out a small square piece of paper. He continues speaking as if he hadn't stopped to do anything else. "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors." With that, the anthem plays one more time, the program is over and the television is turned off by Emmett.

I sit there, looking stunned. _Existing pool of victors. The male and female tributes. Existing pool of victors. Reaped from their existing pool of victors._ The words fill my head, sounding like a swarm of angry bees. Little by little, the pieces come together. And when the whole picture makes sense, I break.

I am a hundred, a thousand, a million different broken pieces. And nothing anyone says or does can put me back together. I feel soft hands and solid arms surround me, except I don't pay them attention. Shards full of a swirl of emotions fly off in every direction. If whomever is holding me is not careful, they could be getting hurt. I finally scream, and several voices rise with mine, all one united scream, full of pain and anger, resentment and hate. The door of my house springs open and another pair of arms surrounds me.

"Rhymer." Fannia tells me in between sobs. For the first time, I hug her back and the soft hands release me into Fannia's arms. More footsteps come inside, crowding my home. It's full of sound and angry tones. I hear Skene arguing with Celo and Surge. I'm not sure if Amber is here, but my safe world is shifting away from me, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I tether myself to Fannia, using her to not slip away. I hear a voice that I've never hear before, the strong commands of a woman. Sure enough, even Amber is here.

One out of us three girl will be going back. Back to the place of dead people and broken faces. I pull away from Fannia then. "We have to talk about this... _problem_." I say hoarsely. I put my arms out, as if asking someone to carry me. This is for Emmett. He knows that whenever I feel bad, all I have to do is put my arms out. He does the rest, like come to my aid. What I don't expect is for Skene to be the one to respond. He pushes Emmett aside casually and picks me up and tells everyone else to follow him into my living room. I'm so confused by this turn of events that at first, I let him take me to the couch, but when I regain my sense, I slap him and run to Emmett. _How does he manage to pretend that he did nothing to me in the Capitol?_ I know I'll never forget. Several pairs of eyes look my way, and although I feel them, I don't return the look. I shiver in Emmett's arms, and Celo approaches me cautiously.

When I first feel his hand, I still think it's Skene, so I flinch. "Celo." It's all he says. I nod slowly, as if telling myself to digest this information. I look up from Emmett's chest and acknowledge everyone else in the room, except Skene. "Rhymer, what's wrong? Are you sick or something? Did you have one of those hallucination things?" Celo and the rest of the victors know I have PTSD but they barely mention it. Now that I've... _attacked_ Skene, I think it's safe to say they're not going to ignore it as much. I could be attacking one of them next.

"It's not a hallucination. Not this time. But I can't talk about it. I'm... I don't feel safe to say it, I'm scared something could happen if I do." I mumble at the floor. I can't look at them. I'm the only one that came back damaged. The other victors are tough, because they never display what I have. None of them are broken, or crazy, like me.

"This has happened before?" Amber asks in a concerned voice.

"It's always with me." Skene says before I can say the same thing.

"You have something against Skene?" Fannia looks at me reluctantly. A few months ago, I was all flowers and butterflies and rainbows with Skene.

"Yes. But I can't talk about it. I'm sorry." I resolve to look at the wall opposite me; it's a blank, dull stare.

"You have to tell us. I know you just said it only happens with Skene, but we can't take any chances." Surge speaks for the first time. Celo, Skene, and Fannia look at him in disgust.

"That won't happen." Skene says, immediately coming to my defense.

"I'm just saying. Besides, it's good to get something bad out of the way. It could even be helpful to you." Surge continues as if he hadn't paused at all.

"Outside." I whisper in Emmett's ear. He writes it on his board and we go. When all of us are out and about, but not near any house of ours, I turn to look at them. Well, all but Skene. I can't decide how to begin. Five pairs of eyes, going from concerned to wasting my time to not caring at all, look at me, waiting for an explanation. I look at Emmett for help, and all he can do is look at me with encouragement. I take it deep breath and ask. "How long was I gone for between the feast in the Capitol and my return here?" I ask shakily. This first part is very important. Someone _had_ to notice my absence.

"A day. The day of the feast." Surge tells me lazy. "Just like everyone else."

I shake my head. _How?_ I mean, it is one thing for the people at the Capitol to pretend that I wasn't gone. But my own _district_? Now that's wrong. I look at all the other victors in turn, hoping someone counters what Surge said. I feel Emmett's hand on my shoulder. His eyes ask me a thousand questions. "I can't have been."

"What are you going on about?" Celo asks, a little concern now entering his voice. Does he know something he's not letting on?

"I talked with the president." I direct my words to Celo alone. "The day of the feast, I talked with Snow. I was with him for around thirty minutes, and then..." I let my voice drop. Celo's eyes widen in fear. "What? You know something?"

"Oh, I know something, alright. They tricked you. Where did he take you?"

"What do you mean? Where did he _take_ me?" Here, I feel Emmett tighten his arms around me, afraid of the answer.

"Snow, Rhymer. Where did the president take you?"

"Well, first he told me some important officials and people wanted... um, the pleasure of my company. Then he offer me something else, because I refused the first offer."

"This isn't good. I've heard of this. Did he hand you over to someone?"

"Yes. He left me there with... with _him_." I say the last word in disgust, pointing my chin at Skene.

"I was never there." Skene speaks up. He'd been silent for a while. "I wasn't there when they took you away. I wasn't there to stop them. I looked for you in the feast. You disappeared around nine. I asked people, but no one told where you'd gone."

"Don't pretend, Skene. You're insulting me."

"Calm down, Rhymer. I know what this is. I was one of the failed experiment for that. I know what they did to you." He pauses then, looking at me with pity. Then he says the words I never wanted to hear again in my life. "Tracker jacker venom." I nod, turning around and hugging Emmett tightly. He hugs me back with as much ferocity. "But Rhymer, look at me." He waits until I'm facing him in order to continue. "They tricked you. They used someone you know against you. Skene wasn't there. You have to trust me. It wasn't real. I know. None of it was real. _They tricked you_." He repeats more forcefully, drawing me out with his voice.

"How?" My voice cracks and everyone else looks at me with pity again, ripping their eyes away from Celo for a little. Everyone's shocked at what is coming out of his mouth. A tale so terrible to be told once, let alone live through it, and yet be told again.

"Skene." He says, piecing it together. "They used him against you. Probably his voice. And his face. Since I was bitten in my Games by a snake mutt, it made me immune to the tracker jacker venom. I was placed in a chair and they replayed my Games for me. When they saw no change, they tried many times. Luckily, I had a watch on the sole of my shoe; it helped my keep track of reality. What was real and what wasn't. They work quickly. To make sure you can't keep up with everything that's going on around you. You're drugged most of the time. When they see you conscious, they say things to manipulate you mind and make you panic. But their experiment failed with me. There were others too. But you seem to not have been so lucky. I'm free because of that. The president lets me do almost anything I want here because I promised to keep my mouth shut. Well, until now. But he doesn't need to know about this." He smiles at me then, as if the clarification will make me less confused and a more open person.

"It'll take time." It's all I say as I head back to my house. Forget the Quell. I'm in a glass case of emotions. I'm on display.

"I'm sorry, Rhymer." Skene gets out before I slam the door.


End file.
